“They were part of the criminal group”: the court arrested five former police officers in the Golunov case

On Thursday, January 30, the Basmanny Court of Moscow took a preventive measure against five former employees of the department for combating drug trafficking of the Internal Affairs Directorate at ZAO GU MVD in the capital. Denis Konovalov, Akbar Sergaliev, Roman Feofanov, Maxim Umetbaev, as well as their former boss Igor Lyakhovets, were detained for two months, until March 29.

According to the investigation, former police officers (Konovalov, Sergaliev, Feofanov, Umetbaev), who detained journalist Ivan Golunov, were part of a criminal group led by their chief Igor Lyakhovets.

“They illegally acquired drugs, and then put them in a backpack and in Golunov’s apartment with the aim of illegally prosecuting him,” the investigator said during the meeting.

Along with this, the lawyer of the journalist Sergey Badamshin told why, according to the UK, the ex-police officers committed a crime.

“Personal interest in career development, receiving awards and incentives in order to artificially increase the rates of revealed and solved crimes,” RIA Novosti quoted the lawyer as saying.

The arrested are charged with three articles: “Abuse of official authority”, “Falsification of the results of operational investigative activities” and “Illegal drug trafficking”, they face up to 15 years in prison.

Moreover, only one of the five - Maxim Umetbaev - partially admitted his guilt, confirming that he used physical force to Golunov. He also announced his readiness to cooperate with the investigation.

In addition, the investigation intends to check the defendants for other crimes.

On the eve, the Investigative Committee announced the detention of five former law enforcement officers "during investigative and operational measures conducted jointly with the GUSB of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the CSS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the city of Moscow."

According to the investigation, in June 2019, in order to illegally prosecute Golunov, police officers put drugs in his backpack and apartment. Thus, they falsified the results of operational-search activities, and then used them as evidence of the journalist’s alleged guilt of drug trafficking. In addition, it is stated that these prohibited substances were previously illegally acquired by police and also illegally stored and transported.

The case of Ivan Golunov became one of the main information events in Russia in 2019. The special correspondent of the Internet publication Medusa was detained, allegedly having discovered drugs in him, and then information appeared that there was a “drug laboratory” in his apartment.

The journalist himself denied all charges, pointing out that he had been planted with drugs in order to exert pressure on him in connection with his professional activities.

His detention caused a wide public outcry. The case was taken under control by the Moscow Ombudsman Tatyana Potyaeva, the Moscow Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General. The Presidential Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, informed the head of state about this case. Golunov’s colleagues called on law enforcement agencies to conduct internal audits.

A few days later, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia Vladimir Kolokoltsev said that the criminal case against Golunov was terminated "due to the lack of evidence of his participation in the commission of the crime."

After that, Yury Devyatkin, head of the drug trafficking control department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow, and Andrei Puchkov, head of the Moscow Department of Internal Affairs, were removed from their posts.

In January 2020, Ivan Golunov was granted victim status in the case of abuse of power by the police.

"All these accusations are far-fetched nonsense."

Before the trial, RT’s special correspondent, member of the PMC of Moscow, Boris Klin, visited former police officers in the temporary detention center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moscow and talked with the detainees.

“How am I feeling? I feel depressed ... At the interrogation I was offered to incriminate myself and others and go under house arrest. Or continue to stand your ground - and then in the pre-trial detention center, ”said Igor Lyakhovets.

He pleads not guilty. The former policeman said that on the day of the detention, Golunov was on vacation.

“All these accusations are far-fetched nonsense. It’s clear that the person was rehabilitated under pressure from the public, and now they found the extreme ones, ”he said.

Another ex-policeman detained, Maxim Umetbaev, said he did not understand the essence of the charges against him at all.

“I did not take part in the detention of Golunov, I saw him for an hour and a half, drove him chained in the apartment during the search, and controlled his movements. I don’t understand what I have to do with it. The investigator tells things I didn’t do, ”said Umetbaev.

Roman Feofanov also said that he does not plead guilty.
Another person involved - Akbar Sergaliev - refused to communicate with members of the PMC. With the fifth ex-policeman Denis Konovalov, RT special correspondent was unable to communicate.