Pseudo-law enforcement officers who threatened to open fire on military and helped two mobilised men to escape detained - National Police. PHOTOS
On 9 February, at around 02:00, the police received a report from the military that the driver of an Audi car had "cut off" a bus with military personnel on the road in Chernihiv district. Two young men in civilian clothes got out of the car, introduced themselves as police officers and showed their 'IDs'.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the Communications Department of the National Police.
They threatened to open fire to kill
As noted, the men demanded that the senior soldier of the group hand over two conscripts to them. In case of refusal and attempts to resist, they threatened to open fire, one of them keeping his hand on a gun holster. After taking the two men off the bus, the attackers put them in their car and drove off in an unknown direction.
What did the investigation find?
The defendants acted in prior conspiracy with others to fake the detention of two mobilised men by the police and ensure their non-arrival to the place of service. For such actions, the offenders received a reward of $5,000 for each of the two conscripts.
"As a result of a police special operation, operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department together with investigators of the Chernihiv Police with the force support of the KORD special police unit tracked down the persons involved in the crime in Kyiv region. Together with the SSU, the pseudo-police officers were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. They were residents of Kyiv region and Kyiv, born in 1990 and 2003. In addition, one of the persons liable for military service was detained in accordance with Article 208. Measures to establish the whereabouts of the other are ongoing," the statement said.
During the search of the Audi, investigators found and seized a device for firing cartridges with rubber bullets FORT-12R, a carbine, a "Piro-5M" simulation training grenade, a certificate of the head of physical security of a private institution, a correspondent's certificate, a driver and volunteer's certificate of a NGO.
The investigators registered the information in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations over the crimes stipulated by Part 2 of Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorised appropriation of authority or rank of an official related to the use of an official ID of a law enforcement officer) and Part 1 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations during a special period). The sanction of the most serious of the articles provides for a sentence of up to eight years in prison.
Criminal proceedings opened over desertion of two servicemen
Also, according to the National Police, criminal proceedings have been opened over the desertion of two servicemen, i.e. unauthorised leaving of a military unit or place of service with the intention of evading military service, as well as failure to report for service for the same purpose (Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
