Two out of five former police officers who are defendants in the drug planting case involving Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov fully or partially pleaded guilty in the Moscow City Court, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the courtroom on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th December, 2020) Two out of five former police officers who are defendants in the drug planting case involving Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov fully or partially pleaded guilty in the Moscow City Court, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the courtroom on Thursday.
Denis Konovalov, one of the defendants, pleaded guilty without any reservations, while Maksim Umetbayev only admitted to slapping Golunov in the face.
The most high-ranking of the defendants, Maj. Igor Lyakhovets, whom the Russian Investigative Committee considers to be the organizer of the drug planting scheme, called the accusation "a pile of circumstances and events" and "a stretch of the imagination."
One of the remaining two officers said that he had been fulfilling their duties and did not breach the law, while the other said did not consider himself guilty of anything.
In June 2019, Golunov was detained in Moscow while in possession of drugs that he said were planted on him by police, prompting a national outcry. A probe into how his case was handled has cost two senior police officials their jobs and led to criminal charges against five other officers.
