“The accused are released from criminal liability”, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
Thus, the panel of judges headed by Margarita Vasilyeva granted the petition of the accused and released them from criminal liability. Journalists’ lawyers reported that they plan to contact the ECtHR.
On March 17, the panel of judges of the Kyiv Court of Appeal decided to close the criminal proceedings in the case of an attack on the crew of “Scheme” journalists in the State “Ukreximbank” in the fall of 2021 in relation to three persons – Yevgeny Metzger, Igor Telbizov and Oleg Osipov.
«On the basis of Article 49 of the Criminal Code to release Metzger EV from criminal liability under Article 171, part 1, part 3 of Article 171, Telbizova IG. and Osipova OL Everyone from criminal liability under Article 171 of Article 171, part 2 of Article 171, part 1 of Article 126 in connection with the expiration of the limitation period of criminal liability, ”the judge reads.
(News is supplemented)
An attack on the Scheme Scheme crew in the state “Ukreximbank” occurred in the fall of 2021.
On October 4 of that year, during an interview with Yevgeny Mesger, the Scheme journalist Kirill Ovsyaniy asked about a large currency loan secured by a problem asset that the State Bank issued a businessman whose company pays taxes to the DNR.
The mezger did not like the question and he ordered the protection of “pick up cameras” from journalists and “get cassettes”. At the order of the Metzger, the bank’s employees applied physical force to the Schema operator, selected two cameras and cards on which the record was recorded, and deleted the recorded video.
On the same day, Scheme journalists wrote a statement about the crime in the police, and subsequently published an audio recording of the events that occurred in the office of Yevgeny Metzger.
On October 6, journalists and public activists near the Ukreximbank State building held a protest action through the actions of the financial institution’s management against journalists.
On October 7, what year the Schemes published the material “Metzger, DNR”, Skymall and $ 60 million. Investigation of “Schemes” about “Ukreximbank”.
On October 11, Yevgeny Metzger wrote a statement of release, which was approved by the Supervisory Board of Ukreximbank on the same day. Subsequently, other participants of the attack were released.
During the trial of the case in the court of first instance, both Eugene Metzger and the former director of the Banking Security Department of Ukreximbank, Igor Telbizov, and the exchanger of the internal security management of the institution, Oleg Osipov denied their guilt and stated that they did not consider themselves guilty. Telbizov emphasized that he did his duties and did not violate anything. The Metzger noted that he did not give any instructions against journalists and that he was provoked. Osipov explained that he was not indoors during the incident.
On September 14, 2022, the Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv found guilty of Igor Telbizov and Oleg Osipov. Both – under Part 1 and Part 3 of Article 171 (“Illegal withdrawal of materials and technical means collected by the journalist, obstruction of the journalist work committed by an official using his or her office”) and Part 1 of Article 126 (“Behavings and Mocking”) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Both Telbizov and the Osipov Court imposed a fine of UAH 1700 for each.
Just as guilty of Part 1 and Part 3 of Art. 171 of the Criminal Code of the Criminal Code was also recognized as the chairman of the board of JSC “Ukreximbank” by Yevgeny Metzger and identified a penalty in the form of a fine of 3400 hryvnias (200 non -taxable minimum incomes) without deprivation of the right to hold certain positions.
To impose such a punishment – in the form of a fine and without deprivation of the right to occupy positions – the court asked for state prosecutors (prosecutors).
The defendant in the case of the attack is also held by the director of the information policy of Ukreximbank Volodymyr Pikalov, but he was mobilized and therefore the court will make a decision on him later.
The then President of Radio Liberty Jamie Fly then responded to a court decision in an attack on journalists at Ukreximbank.
“Ukrainians protect their democratic values on the front of the Russian war, but the decision of the district court does not fully meet the respect for the free press,” said Jamie Fly. – Although I congratulate the conviction, the true justice for Cyril of Ovsyanov and Alexander Mazur demanded more than simply “slap in his hands”.
The victims did not agree with the decision of the first instance and in October 2022 appealed. In the appeal, the victim’s appeal asks the court to apply additional punishment, namely to deprive Mezger’s right to occupy leadership positions in state authorities, local self -government, in state or communal enterprises for three years.
A month after the case at first instance, Yevgeny Metzger received a new position – headed by Ukrfinzhitlo – a company that currently implements state programs of accessible mortgage lending for the population, in particular the Eosel Program, where as of 2023, his salary was over UAH 250 thousand per month.
The accused former employees of Ukreximbank Igor Telbizov and Oleg Osipov with appeal from his state bank were also brought to court. In December 2023, it became known that the courts of first instance renewed Telbizov and Osipov in positions and obliged to recover from Ukreximbank wages during forced absenteeism.
Radio Liberty appealed to the chairman of the board of JSC “Ukreximbank” Sergiy Yermakov, who reported that the state institution would appeal to such a court decision.
Already in January 2024, the Kyiv Court of Appeal left an appeal from the State Bank without satisfaction.