"Dima, my half-million-euro microscope is in your clinic. You stole the equipment." The founder of "Novy Zrok" spoke about his relationship with the Abelsky family

In 2023, a conflict unfolded in Belarus around the "Novy Zrok" clinic network. The authorities deprived them of their licenses, and later a criminal case was initiated against the business owner. In 2024, Kovrigin was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in a penal colony. He himself believes that his persecution is an attempt to seize a successful business.

At the same time, Kovrigin previously had good relations with people close to Alexander Lukashenka. In particular, he knew Irina Abelskaya, the long-term head of the medical commission, and her son Dmitry well.

"I am very grateful to Irina as a son to his mother," the businessman notes. According to him, he himself initiated the acquaintance:

"I just called her, that's all. I said: I am so-and-so. What about me? I am a self-sufficient person, I represent something myself. I don't need any valets. I called Abelskaya and said that I wanted to come to her, to talk about my mother's treatment. Irina, in my opinion, was then working as the chief doctor of the medical commission. (...)

Irina repeatedly helped my mother receive treatment. Paid, which I paid for, but at the medical commission's facility, at a higher level. And my father too," the businessman said.

He characterizes Irina Abelskaya as a very pleasant and sociable woman.

As the businessman asserts, over time their acquaintance went beyond treatment issues. In particular, he arranged with Professor Balashevich, who then headed the Intersectoral Scientific and Technical Complex in St. Petersburg, for Dmitry Abelsky, Kolya Lukashenka's elder brother, to be accepted for training.

"In her presence [Irina Abelskaya], I called [and arranged] for him to be accepted in Piter as family. He had a keen interest in ophthalmology. (...) I simply helped in the education of her child.

Dima and Irina were guests at my place. We ate with them in restaurants. They came to Vilnius. Dima was at my dacha. Dima came to my clinic for an internship. And after that, he made some decision," Kovrigin states.

But over time, the relationship soured. In the interview, the businessman calls the situation around his clinics a raider seizure, in which, according to him, the Voka company, with which Dmitry Abelsky is connected, participated.

When asked why Dmitry could have acted this way towards a person with whom he previously had good relations, the businessman replied:

"Money, money. People change with circumstances. Some circumstances changed, he decided that he should move to a new level. And now he can do this. It's his personal decision."

Kovrigin claims that after all these events, Dmitry even called him. According to him, the conversation came down to an attempt to apologize and assurances of his non-involvement in what happened.

However, Kovrigin himself, judging by his words, did not believe these explanations. During the interview, he addressed Dmitry Abelsky directly:

"Dima, my microscope, which costs half a million euros, is in your clinic. You are using it. I know that. Dima, are you looking at me? Because you also stole the rest of the equipment."

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