Former activist speaks about financial frauds among self-exiled opposition

Former head of a regional branch of the opposition party Narodnaya Gromada Olga Tishkevich told the ONT TV channel about financial frauds among the self-exiled opposition, BelTA has learned.

Olga Tishkevich spoke about Yevgeny Vilsky, the acting head of Narodnaya Gromada. In her words, he does not enjoy authority in the opposition and foreign political movements and parties. In case of danger or compromising situation he is inclined to whitewash his own figure to the detriment of other activists. He maintains contact with the Lithuanian State Security Department. He is a member of the Vilnius “khorugv” unit.

According to Olga Tishkevich, he is paid by IRI - International Republican Institute - an American non-profit organization close to the Republican Party of the USA. The nominal purpose of its activity is “to help countries to build democracy”. Most of the financial flows to the IRI come from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State and the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The Foundation has been working with the Belarusian opposition since 1997.

Answering the question about what Yevgeny Vilsky is paid for, Olga Tishkevich said that “for him to travel, to exist”. According to her, he does not share with his fellow party members. “I saw him signing papers for €2,300 a month. In fact, it is €23,000. Then he said there was up to €50,000. This money is for his expenses, his travels, all these nuances,” Olga Tishkevich added.

The former activist also talked about fundraising for various needs, including for the units fighting for Ukraine. In this connection, she mentioned the name of Valentin Trotsky, an activist of the Narodnaya Gromada, one of the closest associates of Nikolai Statkevich, who carried out all his orders. Currently Valentin Trotsky is a mercenary in Ukraine. His call sign is King.

“We were selling merch at the conference. It was bought by the French, many famous people. We collected money for a pickup truck for Trotsky. We raised - I don't remember – something around €500. Then Vilsky said that maybe he would give some €100-€200. I was simply taken aback. After that I stopped doing such things,” Olga Tishkevich concluded.