Criminal case filed against police officers who raided Armada restaurant

By Murat Sultangaliev

Prosecutor General's Office of Atyrau initiated a criminal case against police officers who raided Armada restaurant  this summer on August 16 (see "Police raid at "Armada"). 

It happened during midnight when police officers took into custody 14 restaurant employees and 2 clients. They all were taken to police station and then 8 of them were released. In relation to the other 8 restaurant employees the court ruled out a decision as per article 355, part 2 of the Administrative Code of RoK ("Malicious disobedience to the employees of the prosecutor's office, internal affairs, national security, financial and military police during the execution of their official duties”) and they were detained for 5 days.

According to the version voiced by the police, they had solid grounds for detention of security guards of the restaurant. In August the restaurant allowed three illegal actions towards the clients. In one case the client even had to use a traumatic weapon against the aggressive security guards of the restaurant. In the second case the victims were a married couple. The restaurant employees used a physical force against the husband and then against his wife. “On those grounds the police officers arrived to the restaurant”, – stated the press service rep of the Internal Affairs Department. The suspected employees refused to tell their names and positions and were verbally offending police officers. Therefore the additional patrol and inspection squad was called.

On August 19, “Armada” management applied with the complaint to the prosecutor's office, National Security Committee, the branch of Nur Otan party and the Internal Security Directorate. Yesterday, on October 28, Aibek Kanatbekov, the prosecutor general’s assistant, informed that in accordance with the application of the Infiniti-Orda LLP (Armada restaurant) the prosecutor’s office conducted a check and as per the results of that check, a criminal case as per article 308, item 1 of Criminal Code of RoK was initiated (“Abuse of powers and authorities”).

– The case will be investigated by the financial police. To-date 9 police force officials are under investigation. The suspects will be interrogated and a face-to-face interrogation will be organized . The video with the scenes of detention of the restaurant employees will be attached to the case, – said the rep of the city prosecutor's office.