The Ministry of Internal Affairs will initiate additional legal qualification in the event of an accident involving the son of one of the police chiefs in the Ternopil region - Anton Gerashchenko
This was announced today, May 17, by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko during a meeting with the girl injured in the accident and her mother.
Recall, on August 24, 2020 at 2:30pm in the village. A 19-year-old pedestrian girl was hit by a fellow villager in Brykiv, Ternopil region. The 22-year-old son of the deputy chief of one of the police departments was behind the wheel of his father's official car and left the scene of the accident without providing assistance to the victims. The girl received numerous injuries, underwent two operations.
According to this fact, the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Ternopil region opened criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 135 (Leaving in danger), Part 1 of Article 286 (Violation of the rules of road safety or operation of vehicles by persons driving vehicles) and Part 1 of Article 289 (Illegal possession of a vehicle) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. At present, investigators are awaiting the results of the final forensic examination, after which the indictment will be sent to court.
Today, after a meeting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the victim and her mother, listening to the injured party, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko said that the policeman covering up the crime committed by his son cannot be acquitted and must be punished.
“Currently, an official investigation is being conducted into the actions of the father - the deputy chief of the police department, whose son committed the accident. We will insist on his release, as well as the opening of criminal proceedings - for concealing information from the father of the suspect about the offense committed by his son. The father, as a police officer, had to report a crime, a conflict of interest and ask to transfer the case for investigation to another district. Instead, he tried to hide the traces of the crime, in particular, repaired the official car on which the victim was hit,” the deputy minister said.
Anton Gerashchenko stressed that in the near future the case will be transferred to the court with possible additional legal qualifications, if this is supported by the prosecution - the prosecutor's office.
“Interior Minister Arsen Avakov takes a tough stance on non-compliance with the Road Rules*. The Ministry of Internal Affairs initiates Laws that provide for increased liability for violation of traffic rules. Therefore, I take this matter for personal control. In parallel with the conduct of the official investigation, the materials of the proceedings will be transferred to the State Bureau of Investigation,” he said.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
