Russia fiercely rebukes Belarus for detaining potash boss

Belarus detained the head of Russia’s Uralkali, the world’s top potash producer, and threatened to seize its assets in the country on Monday, drawing a fierce rebuke from Moscow in an escalating dispute over the collapse of a cartel.

Vladislav Baumgertner was detained on suspicion of abusing his position and official powers over Uralkali’s decision to quit the Belarusian Potash Co (BPC) joint trading venture, according to investigators in Belarus.

It is the first time a top manager of a Russian firm has been detained in Belarus, run since 1994 by President Alexander Lukashenko, who styles himself as “Europe’s last dictator”.

“What happened today is way out of line,” Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told reporters in Moscow, describing the situation as “odd, inappropriate and not fitting to a partnership”.

Belarussian state television ONT showed footage of the grey-haired Baumgartner, who only hours before met with the country’s prime minister, in handcuffs and surrounded by police.

Belarussian investigators said later they intended to seize Uralkali’s assets and property, claiming the company incurred US$100 million of damages in Belarus, according to a report by the RIA agency.