26 October, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Insurance fraud has been uncovered in Vitebsk, Roman Shiyanok, Deputy Prosecutor of the Zheleznodorozhny District of Vitebsk, informed a BELTA correspondent. A man born in 1984 purchased a Volkswagen Passat B6 worth $15,000 from an acquaintance on an instalment plan in 2011. The car was insured under a comprehensive policy (CASCO). A few months later, when it was time to pay the bills, the new owner of the luxury car, who works as a driver at one of the city's state-owned enterprises, began to think about where to find the necessary funds. The man saw the solution to this problem in an expensive, but worthwhile measure of car protection – car insurance. From March to April of this year, the man dismantled the car in his garage, removing the headlights, wheels, steering wheel, airbags, and other parts, and then reported the theft to the police. Law enforcement officers, confirming the damage of Br45 million, initiated a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 205 ("Theft"). The "distressed" Vitebsk resident applied to "Belgosstrakh" for insurance payouts, where the appropriate decision was made. The perpetrator did not manage to benefit from the illegal income: police officers detained him at the bank, where the man was about to withdraw the money. As it turned out, investigative actions were being carried out all this time to determine the owner's involvement in the crime. Law enforcement officials initially suspected this during the inspection of the crime scene and the damaged car: the "robbers" had acted with excessive care and tenderness. The man did not deny his guilt and actively assisted the investigation. This, as well as other mitigating circumstances (he did not manage to use the insurance payouts, he has two young children), influenced the court's decision, which imposed a punishment not involving deprivation of liberty. The Vitebsk resident was sentenced to a fine of 400 base units (Br40 million), and his car was confiscated.-0-

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