2024-04-18 14:37:44
During the attack, during which the Kaunas belonging to the city’s gangs used metal bars and knuckledusters to explain their relationship, Žanas Andrijūnas, who was recognized as the victim, asked for the return of shorts, sneakers and a blouse, which were taken as evidence during the pre-trial investigation and are still kept in law enforcement institutions.
Loud laughter echoed in the hall at this request.
Ž. Andrijūnas is probably the only participant in the bloody conflict not related to the mafia – when 8 masked thugs attacked him and three other men in a cafe in the middle of the day, he tried to defend his uncle, a close friend of Saulius Velečka, the head of the Kaunas “Agurkinii” gang, previously convicted of car theft Morning Sadauskas.
In addition to R. Sadauskas, two other figures associated with the mafia were injured in the attack – Egidijus Smailys, the leader of the “Smailių” gang, who has been convicted 7 times in the past and was involved in two murder cases, and Tadas Petrošius, one of the Kaunas citizens belonging to the “Agurkiņii” group, who had several dealings with the law enforcement.
During the same hearing, T. Petrošius asked not to consider him a victim anymore – whether to cancel this status for him, as well as whether to return Ž. The court will decide on clothes and shoes for Andrijūnas on April 24.
During the process, another unusual request was received – one of the defendants, Lukas Shcherbinskas, who has been convicted 11 times, and who is only allowed to leave the house in exceptional cases, asked to be allowed to participate in his girlfriend’s 30th birthday party organized at the Birštonas SPA center on April 20. The court took this into account and adjusted the remand by granting this request.
The case of E. Smailis is not without curiosities – the latter, being the victim, started playing hide and seek with the police, he did not even appear 4 times at the previous court hearings, which had to be constantly postponed.
The evidence will be given last
At the hearing held on Wednesday, seven defendants (two more, including the mastermind of the attack, are still being sought) agreed to testify only after questioning other participants in the case.
The next hearing should take place on April 30 – it is planned to interview witnesses.
“During the hearing, the prosecutor denounced the indictment. All the defendants do not plead guilty, they agree to testify only when all the participants in the process have been questioned. During the session, the judge also announced the two received requests”, Tautvilė Merkevičiūtė, assistant to the chairman of the Kaunas district court for media and public relations, informed the lrytas.lt portal.
Most of the accused, like the victims, are associated with the mafia. They await the verdict in freedom, given intensive care while wearing electronic collars and other preventive measures.
In addition to L. Ščerbinskas, 39-year-old Vitaliis Zakrževskis, 37-year-old Edgar Rezajevs, 30-year-old Rokis Sipavičiis, 28-year-old former European K-1 amateur bushido champion Juozs Minkevičiis, 27-year-old Tadus Muchinskas and 26-year-old Karolis Kavaliauskas have been charged with the attack in the center of Kaunas. Most of them are convicted of serious crimes.
The attack on Laisvė avenue took place on August 25 last year.
The gang wars continue
Brutally beaten mobsters were reluctant to open up to law enforcement – it seems that they follow the usual “vows of silence” in the criminal world.
It is believed that the attack on Laisvė avenue was carried out in revenge against R. Sadauskas for previous disagreements.
It is believed that the Kaunas gang wars may flare up even more after this attack – a house in the Kaunas district, which may belong to a close relative of one of the suspected attackers, has already been set on fire.
The actors of the criminal world will probably continue to explain the relationship themselves, and the law enforcement officers will claim that they have no claims against anyone.
2024-04-18 14:37:44