MINSK – Belarusian authorities on Monday took control of a Russia-owned commercial bank that was led by a man who is now running to challenge Belarus' authoritarian leader.President Alexander Lukashenko, who is seeking a sixth term in an Aug.
9 election, has accused Belgazprombank chief executive Viktor Babariko of corruption and called him a “scoundrel.”Babariko, who stepped down as the bank's chief to take part in the election race, denounced Sunday's searches at the bank and the arrest of its 15 executives on charges of tax evasion and money laundering as part of an intimidation campaign conducted on “political orders.”Belgazprombank is majority owned by Russia's state-run Gazprom natural gas company and Gazprombank, which is affiliated.