Eight years after the murder of the insolvency administrator Martinš Bunkus, his brother Kristaps Bunkus spoke about the protracted court process and systemic issues during the criminal proceedings, LETA reported.
He noted that the first four years after the murder were spent on pre-trial investigations, and the next four on the trial, which is still ongoing. The case is currently being reviewed by the Riga Regional Court in the appellate instance.
According to Kristaps Bunkus, the lengthy proceedings have revealed broader issues within the justice system, including inequality between the rights of victims and the accused. He believes that the accused have ample opportunities to use procedural rights to delay the case.
Kristaps Bunkus also criticized the translation system for defendants who do not speak the state language. In his opinion, written and oral translations of documents and hearings prolong the case review, and the deadlines for filing appeals only start after receiving a complete translation of the verdict.
"The longer the process continues, the clearer it becomes: in criminal proceedings, it is beneficial for citizens of Latvia to forget or not know the state language, the rights of witnesses and victims are less important than the rights of the accused, and the accused can attempt to exploit abuses and unscrupulous methods," stated Kristaps Bunkus.
The brother of the deceased believes that his family's experience over these eight years shows the state's inability to timely ensure a balance between the protection of the rights of victims and the accused. In his opinion, this is no longer just about a specific case, but about the functioning of the legal system in situations where the accused have significant financial and influential resources.
"We will go this path to the end — both in memory of my brother and for the sake of society. Because a fair court is needed not only by us. It is needed by everyone," emphasized Kristaps Bunkus.
The next court hearing in the case of the murder of Martinš Bunkus is scheduled for June 3 at 13:00. It is planned to consider the motions of the defense.
As previously reported, the first-instance court found Russian citizen Viktor Krivosheya guilty of the murder of Martinš Bunkus and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Entrepreneurs Alexander Babenko and Mikhail Ulman were found guilty of ordering the murder and received 15 years in prison each.
All the accused were also placed under three years of probation supervision.
In addition, the court ordered the accused to pay compensation for moral damages to the victims in the amount of 171,462 euros. The father of the deceased, Ojar Bunkus, and brothers Kaspars and Kristaps were awarded compensation of 43,000 euros each, while their mother, Dace Bunkus, was awarded 42,462 euros.
The court maintained the arrest on four properties of Ulman until the compensation is paid, but lifted the arrest on 97 properties, shares in 14 companies, and nine vehicles.
The court confiscated 110,000 euros related to the crime from Babenko and maintained the arrest on three properties. At the same time, the arrest was lifted on 66 properties, shares in one company, and 25 vehicles.
Both the prosecutor and the accused appealed the verdict of the first-instance court.
Martinš Bunkus was shot dead on the morning of May 30, 2018, while driving past the Riga Forest Cemetery. Shortly after the murder, a burned car with fake plates was found nearby.
Ulman and Babenko are accused of incitement and ordering the murder, while Ulman is also accused of aiding the crime. Krivosheya is accused of directly committing the murder, as well as illegal possession and transportation of weapons and ammunition and disclosing pre-trial investigation data.
The organizer of the murder has not been charged, as he died a violent death. This refers to Gennady Valyagin — a convicted participant of the once-influential criminal group of Ivan Kharitonov. In March 2022, Valyagin was shot in the Riga district of Plavnieki during another criminal showdown.
Regarding another figure — Arkadiy Yudin, born in 1970 — the criminal proceedings were terminated, as his involvement in aiding the crime was not confirmed.
During the pre-trial investigation, the circumstances of the crime and the distribution of roles among the participants were established. The prosecution believes that the motive for the crime was animosity towards Bunkus due to his professional activities. He was the administrator of the company SIA "Rego Trade," while Ulman was a former board member of this firm.
The organizer of the murder was promised 100,000 euros, and the executor — 200,000 euros. More than 100,000 euros were never paid to the executor.
