You're reading: Lukashenko sacks KGB chief

Minsk - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed Lt. Gen. Vadim Zaitsev as chairman of the State Security Committee (KGB) on Friday, the presidential press service told Interfax, citing Belarusian Security Committee Secretary Leonid Maltsev as saying. 

Maltsev said the prosecutor general and the Investigative Committee chairman asked some questions regarding the latest events involving the KGB at a conference hosted by the president on Friday.

“Everybody knows about KGB Lt. Col. Alexander Kazak’s suicide. There are also some other issues that require careful investigation,” Maltsev said.

“In this connection, the president decided to relieve Lt. Gen. Vadim Zaitsev of his duties as KGB chairman and transfer him to the KGB chairman’s disposal,” he said.

“I have been assigned the task of performing the duties of KGB chairman. But this does not mean that Vadim Zaitsev cannot return to his job after the investigation is over,” Maltsev said.

“If the investigation finds him and other officials competent, he will surely be reinstated. This has been done in order to conduct the investigation as impartially as possible. The investigation has been assigned to the prosecutor general. The Investigative Committee will also be engaged in this work,” he said.