Cherkasy journalists got beaten due to amateurish actions of ex-head of oblast police department

The IMI correspondent filed a request to the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Cherkasy oblast as to investigation of cases of beatings of local journalists this winter during the protest rallies. The official answer signed by the interim head of the oblast department V.Pustovar says that these beatings took place because the then head of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Cherkasy oblast, Volodymyr Lipandin, was acting amateurishly and failed to properly carry out his duties as to organization of operation of bodies and departments of internal affairs in the oblast he was in charge of and did not exercise control over compliance with law by his subordinates.

According to the local police, during the mass protest rallies in Cherkasy oblast 5 facts of bodily injures sustained by journalists or illegal seizure of their property were registered.

Their complaints have been registered, investigated and submitted to court.

The local prosecutor’s office is investigating abuse of power by local police officers, including the ex-head Lipandin himself, who is suspected of organizing of use of violence and specials means against EuroMaidan and AutoMaidan activists in January in Cherkasy. He is now on the wanted list.