Ex-Ukrainian Internal Troops commander says he hasn't received notifications about his suspect status
Former commander of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Internal Troops, Stanislav Shuliak, who is giving testimony via video link in the case against five former Berkut special operations division officers accused of killing Euro-Maidan activists, said that the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has not notified him about suspicion of committing crimes and his testimony will be limited solely to the case on trial.
An Interfax correspondent reported that prior to the beginning of questioning Kyiv's Sviatoshynsky District Court drew Shuliak's attention to the fact that his surname is mentioned in the pre-trial investigation files "as an individual involved in organizing abuse of power and office by law enforcement officers for the purpose of use of force against the protest rally." Due to that, the court asked representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office whether the witness Shuliak was notified about suspicion.
A public prosecution representative said that the Prosecutor General's Office notified Shuliak about the suspicion of his committing a crime under the article on desertion on January 9, 2015, and about suspicion of his involvement in a criminal organization and crimes committed by it on November 17, 2015. Apart from that, the prosecutor said, Shuliak is suspected of organizing abuse of power by law enforcement officers resulting in grave consequences.
"In accordance with the law on criminal procedure a notice [of suspicion] was sent to Stanislav Shuliak," the prosecutor said.
After obtaining this information the court explained to Shuliak that as part of these proceedings he has a right to refuse to give testimony in the court and reply to questions and not to be held responsible for this under the Article 63 of the Constitution of Ukraine. Shuliak replied that he understood this provision of the law and said: "No [notices of] suspicions were handed over and voiced to me."
He requested the limiting of the questioning within the criminal case against former Berkut officers considered by the Sviatoshynsky District Court.
Shuliak also said that he has Ukrainian citizenship and resides in Simferopol.
