The man faces up to 10 years in prison for setting fire to a post office in the capital
This is reported by Kyiv24
In Kyiv, police arrested a 25-year-old resident of Zhytomyr who is suspected of setting fire to the doors of a post office located on Lisovyi Avenue. According to preliminary information, the young man committed the crime to help his friend.
Incident Details
Investigators established that the day before the incident, the arrested man’s friend met a girl online and planned to meet her. Later, he received a call from an unknown person who claimed to be a law enforcement officer and informed him that his new acquaintance allegedly collaborates with an aggressor country. According to the impersonating officer, the man could avoid criminal liability if he set fire to the post office where, according to the fabricated story, the girl’s accomplice works. The man agreed to this scheme and sought help from his acquaintance.
“Soon, he received a call from someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer who informed him that his new acquaintance works for the aggressor country and that he would face trouble for communicating with her. The impersonating officer told the man that he could avoid criminal liability if he set fire to the post office where her accomplice supposedly works. The man agreed and asked his 25-year-old friend for help. Upon arrival at the scene, the latter doused the entrance doors of the post office with a flammable mixture and set them on fire,” police reported.
Investigation and Legal Qualification
After the arson, operatives from the capital’s main department and the Desnyansky police department, together with criminal analysis analysts, quickly identified the perpetrator. The arrested individual had come to Kyiv for work, was employed as a car mechanic, and had no prior convictions.
Currently, investigators have informed the man of his suspicion under part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – intentional destruction or damage to property by arson. The penalty for this offense includes imprisonment for up to 10 years.