The organizer of the group, whose members committed an attempt on a well-known Lviv businessman, was sentenced to life imprisonment – National Police
The event took place on August 29, 2016 on the highway near the village of Stare Selo. Then, as a result of the explosion and shooting of the car, three bodyguards of the businessman died, one more managed to escape. The businessman himself was not injured. The organizer and two of his accomplices received a court verdict.
As the police established, the murder of a Lviv businessman was planned by a resident of Lviv with connections in criminal circles. He entrusted the execution of this crime to two men. They should have received more than two million hryvnias for their successful “work”.
The murder was planned down to the last detail. The convicts were supposed to blow up the car in which the businessman was driving, and if necessary, use firearms. During the commission of the crime, on the morning of August 29, 2016, on the highway near the village of Stare Selo, the perpetrators miscalculated and prematurely detonated explosive devices planted under the road surface. As a result, the guards’ car was blown up. Realizing their mistake, the accomplices shot the car and killed three guards, while the fourth managed to escape. The businessman who was the target of the killers was driving behind in another car. This is what saved his life.
Then, during the inspection of the surrounding area, explosives experts found a grenade launcher, improvised explosive devices, and another one – under the asphalt. The operatives and police investigators identified the participants of this crime through the conducted measures. In September 2016, law enforcement officers made simultaneous arrests in several regions of the country. An arsenal of weapons was seized from the attackers: assault rifles, grenades, pistols, explosive devices, etc.
During the pre-trial investigation, the law enforcement officers conducted almost 1,000 procedural measures and collected evidence of the involvement of persons in the attempted murder of a Lviv businessman, they were informed of the suspicion. In 2017, the indictments were brought to court.
The panel of the Shevchenkiv District Court of Lviv (first instance) rendered a verdict on this case. The organizer and two executors were found guilty of the following criminal offenses:
– Part 3 of Art. 27, p. p. 1, 5, 11, 12 part 2 of Art. 115, Part 3 of Art. 27 (intentional murder),
– Part 2 of Art. 15, clauses 1, 5, 6, 11, 12, part 2 of Art. 115 (attempted murder),
– Part 3 of Art. 27, Part 2 of Art. 194 (intentional damage to property),
– Part 1 of Art. 263 (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The organizer was sentenced to life imprisonment, two other members of the group – to 15 years in prison. They will be in custody until the verdict becomes final.
The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings and the support of the process of consideration of the case were essentially carried out by operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department in the Lviv Region of the National Police, operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department and investigators of the Investigative Department of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Lviv Region under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.