“The appellate court is considering the case of the ex-chairman of the board of Ukreximbank, Yevhen Metzger, who, together with accomplices-bankers, attacked the journalists of “Scheme” during an interview. The defense of journalists is demanding in court that Metzger cannot hold positions in state bodies, as he is currently the chairman of the board of the state company “Ukrfinzhitlo”. Instead, Metzger’s defense filed a motion to dismiss the case due to the statute of limitations. At the court hearing”, — write on: ua.news
The appellate court is considering the case of the ex-chairman of the board of Ukreximbank, Yevhen Metzger, who, together with accomplices-bankers, attacked the journalists of “Scheme” during an interview. The defense of journalists is demanding in court that Metzger cannot hold positions in state bodies, as he is currently the chairman of the board of the state company “Ukrfinzhitlo”. Instead, Metzger’s defense filed a motion to dismiss the case due to the statute of limitations.
At the court hearing on January 21, Metzger was unable to provide the court with a certificate of no criminal record, citing problems in the work of state registers. Without this certificate, the court will not be able to determine whether the term of prosecution of Yevhen Metzger was interrupted. Oksana Maksymenyukthe victim’s lawyer program videographer “schemes” Oleksandr Mazur, in a comment to journalists explained that the prosecution itself is interested in providing a certificate of no criminal record.
“[Якщо суд задовільнить їх клопотання]then this decision actually allows them to close the criminal proceedings in this part and makes it possible to avoid criminal liability. Although such exemption from criminal responsibility will be on non-rehabilitating grounds. But, nevertheless, the court proceedings will be closed if the court considers that there are grounds for closing.”
Oksana Maksymenyuk
the lawyer of the injured videographer of the “Schemes” program Oleksandr Mazur
She also added that if Yevhen Metzger was prosecuted during the proceedings of this case to criminal liability in other cases, “then this term will be suspended. The court will continue the hearing and will not grant the petition in this case.”
That is, it is a procedural norm. It allows the court to determine whether or not the term for criminal prosecution was interrupted.
Oksana Maksymenyuk
the lawyer of the injured videographer of the “Schemes” program Oleksandr Mazur
We will remind you that the attack took place in the office of Yevhen Metzger, the chairman of the board of Ukreximbank at the time, on October 4, 2021, during the recording of an interview. At the same time, “Schem” journalist Kyrylo Ovsyany asked about a large foreign currency loan secured by a problematic asset, which the state bank issued to a businessman whose company paid taxes to the “DPR” group. Yevhen Metzger did not like this question and ordered the guards to “take the cameras” from the journalists and “take the tapes from them.”
At the same time, the director of the bank security department, Ihor Telbizov, and the head of the internal security department, Oleg Osipov, used physical force against the “Scheme” operator. They took his two cameras, the cards on which the recording was made, and deleted the recorded video.
Volodymyr Pikalov, ex-director of the information policy department of Ukreximbank, is also accused in this case. At the same time, he was also in the office where everything happened. However, Pikalov was mobilized, so the court will issue a decision on him later.
The court of first instance found the participants guilty and sentenced them to fines: 1,700 hryvnias for Telbizov and Osipov, and 3,400 hryvnias for Metzger.
Journalists who suffered at the hands of these persons did not agree with the court’s decision. In October 2022, an appeal was filed, in which they are asked to apply an additional punishment, namely, to deprive Metzger of the right to hold managerial positions in state authorities, local governments, state or communal enterprises for a period of three years.
The case was considered for more than 2 years. Sessions were regularly postponed at the request of the accused. According to the lawyers of journalists Oksana Maksymeniuk and Vira Krat, the actions of the defendants’ defense show that the appeal process is being deliberately delayed.
At the last meeting, on December 19, 2024, the defendants Metzger, Telbizov, and Osipov submitted a motion to close the proceedings in connection with the expiration of the terms for bringing them to justice, which ended in October 2024.
At the meeting on January 22, the lawyers did not provide documents that Metzger was not criminally responsible. Because of this, the case was postponed to February 24. Yevgeny Metzger’s lawyer is convinced that the court will close this proceeding, since it is a person’s right in accordance with the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and “the time limits for bringing a person to justice have expired.”
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