Prosecutor General interrogated Kosov: the accused explained why he considers himself not guilty

During the court hearing in the case of the murder of a 16-year-old teenager on the funicular, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko asked the defendant, former State Protection Department employee Artem Kosov, if he pleaded guilty. Kosov denied his guilt, a UNN correspondent reports.

Details

"Please tell me, do you plead guilty?" the Prosecutor General asked.

To this question, Kosov replied, "No." He explained that he had no motives to commit the crime.

"I had no motive for murder. I had no thought that I would wake up in the morning on my day off, go to the funicular, and kill someone," Kosov said.

Prosecutor General Kravchenko clarified whether the accused really wanted to perform a "hip throw." Kosov answered the question affirmatively but emphasized that he fell.

"I fell because I lost my balance. And I said that there was already a group of people behind me. And these people didn't say 'well done, we'll praise you now.' They were set on a fight, and we saw that in the video. And it was read out yesterday," Kosov added.

Kravchenko also asked Kosov what he had consumed that day. "What did you drink on April 7, 2024?" the Prosecutor General asked.

The accused Kosov replied that he had consumed alcoholic beverages that day, and when asked for clarification by the Prosecutor General, he added that he had drunk three portions of liqueur, 250 grams each, throughout the day.

After that, the Prosecutor General asked Kosov if he had used narcotic substances that day.

"We conducted an examination, which indicates that you were under the influence of drugs that day," the Prosecutor General emphasized.

Kosov replied that exactly seven days before the incident, he had used cannabis.

"This substance stays in the body for 21 days," he added.

 Earlier, UNN reported that today, August 21, Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv began interrogating former UDO employee Artem Kosov, accused of intentional murder of a 16-year-old boy.   

Addition

On April 8, 2024, Artem Kosov was notified of suspicion of intentional murder of a teenager. As established by the investigation, the incident occurred at the upper funicular station, which leads to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building and St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Kosov, being intoxicated, began to harass a group of teenagers, among whom was Maksym Materukhin. Kosov pushed the 16-year-old boy, who died from the impact of the fall. The investigation in the proceedings was conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, as at the time of the crime, the suspect was serving in the UDO.

On April 9, 2024, Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv remanded the law enforcement officer in custody for 60 days, without the right to bail. After that, the preventive measure was extended several times, and currently the accused is in the pre-trial detention center.

On May 5, 2024, DBR employees completed the pre-trial investigation, after which the case materials were handed over to the defense for review.

On May 29, the indictment against former State Protection Department employee Kosov was sent to the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of the capital. During the investigation, DBR investigators established that the murder of the minor was committed out of hooligan motives, for which he faces life imprisonment.

On August 14, Shevchenkivskyi Court of Kyiv appointed a free lawyer to Artem Kosov. The Kyiv court also extended the preventive measure for Artem Kosov until October 11 without the right to bail. 

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko during the court on August 20 analyzed the actions of the accused based on the video reviewed in court, noting that Kosov's behavior was cynical and demonstrated disregard for human life.

Ruslan Kravchenko also reported that according to witness testimonies, the accused reached for the place where he had a pistol, thereby threatening those around him.