Police open criminal investigation into 'Saakashvili border breakthrough'

Lviv regional police have opened a criminal investigation into the breakthrough of the border by former Head of Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as his supporters, the Ukrainska Pravda online news site has reported, with reference to the Interior Ministry.

"The police have included in the single register of pre-trial investigations the information on the obvious signs of a crime under Article 322 'The illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine,'" the statement reads.

The police reported that the investigators had qualified these actions under Part 1, Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Such criminal offense envisages punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term up to five years, with the confiscation of transport or other means of committing a crime.

Eleven police officers and five employees of the State Border Service sustained bodily injuries that during the incident with the breakthrough of the border by Saakashvili's supporters.

The Interior Ministry said that in the actions of the organizers of the riot at the border there are signs of violation of Articles 332 and 348 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.