Viktors Krivoshejs, a Russian citizen accused of committing the murder, has been asked to be sentenced to life imprisonment and probation supervision for three years.
The businessmen accused of ordering the murder – Alexander Babenko, born in 1961, and Mihail Ulman, born in 1953 – have been asked to sentence each of them to 20 years in prison, probation supervision for three years and confiscation of property. As the prosecutor’s office confirmed to the LETA agency, the accused businessmen were asked to confiscate real estate, vehicles and capital shares of the companies.
“Firmas.lv” information shows that with the decision of the State Police (VP) in May 2022, Babenko’s assets – capital shares in several companies – were seized. For example, for the capital shares of SIA “Gruodis” with a value of 2,428,348 euros, in order to ensure the procedural costs, recovery of compensation for the damage caused to the victim and also possible confiscation of property as an additional penalty. The mentioned company is the largest owner in the capital of the retailer “Mego”.
By the decision of the VP, the seizure was also applied to Ulman’s capital shares in several companies, for example, the capital shares of SIA “Monald” with a value of 1,467,186 euros.
The debate is one of the final stages before the court goes to prepare the judgment. LETA clarified that the session will continue on Monday.
In the debate, the victims will be the next to speak, then the persons affected by the confiscation of property will follow, and then the defenders of the accused. After the court debate, each of its participants has the right to one reply. As the last, before the court goes to prepare the verdict, the last word of the accused should follow. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. In total, 18 meetings are planned for October.
In court, LETA confirmed to the agency that today Krivošejs started significantly disrupting the order during the court session, which is why he was expelled from the courtroom. LETA already wrote that on September 26 he behaved disrespectfully towards the court and the participants of the session. For this, he was subjected to the sanction applied in criminal proceedings, namely expulsion from the hall. When the accused was taken out of the hall, he spat at prosecutor Rimantas Kuzmas.
Prosecutor Aldis Lasmanis assured the LETA agency this summer that all three defendants in the Bunkus murder case will end their maximum prison terms in November. This means that by then a full judgment must be written in the court, or the detention of the accused will have to be terminated.
Since the detention, Ulmans and Babenko have repeatedly asked the court to review the security measure applied to them, but the court has always rejected these requests. The prosecution has expressed concern that releasing the accused from custody could hinder legal proceedings, including by leaving the country.
In the case, businessmen Ulmans and Babenko are accused of inciting or ordering murder. Ulmans is also charged with aiding and abetting murder.
Charges have also been brought against the alleged murderer who fired the shots – Krivošej, a Russian citizen born in 1974. He is also accused of carrying and transporting a firearm and ammunition without a relevant permit and of disclosing information obtained in pre-trial criminal proceedings without the permission of the investigator or prosecutor.
The organizer of the murder has not been charged because he died a violent death. This person was Gennadys Valagins, convicted in the case of the once influential criminal group of Ivan Kharitonov. He was shot in March 2022 in Riga, Pļavnieki.
On the other hand, the criminal proceedings against one person were terminated, as no support for this crime was found in his activities. This person is Arkadijs Yudins, born in 1970.
In the pre-trial criminal proceedings, the circumstances of the crime and the persons involved, including their mutual distribution of roles for the implementation of the crime, were clarified. The prosecutor’s office believes that the motive for the crime committed by the defendants was dislike of the administrator while he was performing his professional duties. Bunkus was the administrator of SIA “Rego Trade”, while Ulmans was a former board member of this company.
The “De facto” program of Latvian Television (LTV) previously announced that 100,000 euros were offered to the organizer of the Bunkus murder, and 200,000 euros to the executor. More than 100,000 euros were not paid to the performer.
Bunkus was shot on the morning of May 30, 2018, when he drove his car past the Riga Forest Cemetery. Shortly after the murder, a burned-out car with fake license plates was found near the scene.
(Added paragraphs 3 and 6, added paragraphs 4, 5, 7 and 8.)
2024-10-01 17:27:09