Road police chief sacked

Vasil Bulbyankou has been named as acting chief of the road police, said an official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The former road police chief, Alyaksandr Mendzeley, who was appointed to the post in early 2006, has been sacked. Bulbyankou headed the Minsk road police service from 2004 to 2008 before his promotion to deputy road police chief.

Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumau told Sovetskaya Belorussiya that Mandzeley failed to organize properly an awareness campaign aimed at accident prevention.

"Efforts have been made to educate drivers, while pedestrians do not know traffic rules and do not care about safety. The awareness campaign should be conducted at schools and enterprises, but it is the responsibility of the traffic police to organize it," the paper quoted him as saying.