The organizer of a group whose members tried to kill a Lviv businessman and blew up his bodyguards was sentenced to life imprisonment. UNN reports this with reference to the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office and the National Police.
Details
Reportedly, the court found three members of the organized group guilty. The organizer was sentenced to life imprisonment. The executors were sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The organizer and two performers were found guilty of committing the criminal offenses provided for:
- Art. 27, para. 3, paras. 1, 5, 11, 12, part 2, Article 115, part 3, Article 27 (premeditated murder),
- Art. 15, para. 2, paras. 1, 5, 6, 11, 12, part 2, Article 115 (attempted premeditated murder),
- Article 27(3), Article 194(2) (intentional damage to property),
- Part 1 of Art. 263 (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
They will remain in custody until the verdict comes into force.
Prosecutors proved that in 2016, one of the convicted organizers planned the murder of a Lviv businessman, entrusting it to two men for a monetary reward.
The attackers wanted to blow up the car in which the businessman was traveling. If necessary, the perpetrators were to use firearms.
However, the anti-tank mines that had been previously placed under the asphalt detonated prematurely and blew up the motorcade with the businessman's bodyguards, not him. After the explosion, the perpetrators also shot the blown-up vehicle
According to the National Police, three of the guards were shot and died on the spot, while the fourth managed to escape. The businessman who was the target of the killers was riding behind in another car. This is what saved his life.
During the inspection of the adjacent territory, the bomb squad found a grenade launcher, improvised explosive devices, and another one under the asphalt.
In September 2016, law enforcement officers conducted simultaneous detentions in several regions of the country. An arsenal of weapons was seized from the criminals: assault rifles, grenades, pistols, explosive devices, etc.
During the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers conducted almost 1,000 procedural events and collected evidence of the individuals' involvement in the attempted murder of a Lviv businessman, and served them with a notice of suspicion. In 2017, the indictments were sent to court.
Recall
The incident occurred on August 29, 2016, on a road near the village of Stare Selo. The car bombing and shooting killed three of the businessman's security guards, while another managed to escape. The businessman himself was not injured.