Man charged with attempted murder over Ülemiste shopping centre explosion
The Public Prosecutor's Office has brought attempted murder charges against 61-year-old Artur Boiko after he brought a homemade explosive device to Ülemiste shopping centre in December.
Man charged with attempted murder over Ülemiste shopping centre explosion
The Public Prosecutor's Office has brought attempted murder charges against 61-year-old Artur Boiko after he brought a homemade explosive device to Ülemiste shopping centre in December.
According to the charge, the man delivered a homemade explosive device to the shopping centre in Tallinn on the evening of 20 December, which he placed in a waste bin located opposite the tills of a Rimi store, before leaving the scene. The device exploded approximately one and a half hours later when a cleaner working at the centre began to empty the bin.
Prosecutor Diana Helila noted that the man's actions caused the cleaner to suffer serious injuries. "The force of the explosion separates fragments from the explosive device, which can cause critical injuries or death to people. Because this occurred on a weekend before Christmas, when shopping centres were crowded and people were doing their last-minute holiday shopping, the consequences could have been even more tragic," she said.
In addition to attempted murder, the man has also been charged with causing an explosion and the unlawful handling of a large quantity of explosives and their components.
Andres Ratassepp, deputy director of the Security Police, announced that during a search of the suspect's home, a large quantity of homemade explosives were confiscated, and according to an initial assessment, over 60 homemade explosive devices. As the number of devices found was substantial, their investigation continues and investigators hope to complete the investigation before the trial begins.
Following the explosion, over 100 people participated in investigative activities, including Security Police officers, nearly 90 regular police officers, 10 firefighters, six bomb experts and a police dog.
Source: ERR News
Source: ERR News