Ex-inspector from Kherson persuaded police officers to join the enemy

The court found a former police officer from Kherson region guilty of collaboration. During the occupation, he voluntarily joined the service of a Russian-created "law enforcement agency".

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv.

According to the court, during the temporary occupation of Kherson, the man supported the policy of the Russian authorities and agreed to cooperate with the occupation administration. In order to get a position in illegal structures, he decided to gain the trust of representatives of the so-called "military-civilian administration" of the Russian Federation.

The investigation established that between March and May 2022, the man agreed to the proposal of the occupation authorities and was employed by the illegally created "Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kherson Region".

On May 10, 2022, he voluntarily took up the position of a duty officer in the temporary detention center of this pseudo-agency, receiving the rank of "police captain". He worked in this position until December 2022 and carried out the orders of the occupation administration aimed at strengthening the power of the Russian Federation in the occupied territory.

Prior to the occupation, he worked as a senior inspector on duty in the temporary detention center of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kherson region.

The former deputy head of the internal security department of the Kherson police, who was personally acquainted with the convict, testified in court. According to him, during the occupation, Russian security forces actively persuaded Ukrainian law enforcement officers to cooperate by offering them positions and high salaries.

According to media reports, the convict's name is Artem Polishchuk. He is a native of the village of Bilozerka, a resident of the village of Tomyna Balka. During the occupation, the collaborator's wife became the so-called "head" of the village, and his mother became the director of a school established by the Russians.

The witness said that Polishchuk informed him about the offer of the occupiers and later confirmed that he decided to work for them because of the money. According to him, the salary of the pseudo-police was about 75 thousand rubles. At the same time, the man did not express any ideological motives and explained his choice by material reasons.

In addition, according to the witness, he tried to convince other Ukrainian police officers to join the occupiers and offered them positions in illegal structures.

The court found the former policeman guilty of collaboration. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison with confiscation of all property. In addition, the convict's Renault Clio car and a Leader trailer will be confiscated. The sentence was passed in absentia.

Another resident of Kherson was convicted of working for the occupiers after the city was seized. He voluntarily became a security guard in a colony created by the occupation authorities on the basis of the Northern Correctional Colony No. 90.

Анна Бальчінос