The pretrial investigation in the criminal proceedings against Dmytro Zagumenny, Chief of Staff of the Kyiv City State Administration, has been completed, and the indictment is being submitted to the court. The criminal proceedings are now moving to the trial phase.
As a reminder, our client is accused of allegedly forging official documents that “grant the right to obtain travel documents for going abroad,” specifically invitations to attend international conferences.
The criminal proceedings were initiated based on an investigator’s report, according to which our client “at a time and place not yet established by the pretrial investigation authority, time and place, acting in prior conspiracy with a group of individuals, including a person not yet identified by the pre-trial investigation authority, forged official documents.” Without establishing any elements of a crime, the investigators and prosecutors knowingly presumed Dmitry Mykolayovych guilty.
During the six months of the pretrial investigation, not a single investigative action was taken to clarify these circumstances. Witnesses were not even asked about this during their interrogations. No one attempted to determine who, where, and when these documents were forged.
At the trial stage, the prosecution will no longer be able to hide behind the questionable practice whereby investigating judges, during the pretrial investigation, refuse to properly verify the validity of the suspicion.
At the time the indictment was served, there was no evidence in the case to support Dmitry Nikolayevich’s guilt. We eagerly await the trial, where the prosecutor must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The defense in this case is being handled by Barristers partner Yuriy Radzievsky and Barristers attorney Vitaliy Chayun.
Author: Barristers
Source: Barristers Facebook