Finnish man sentenced to four years for traffic accident in Ukraine
A humanitarian worker was sentenced for a fatal collision near Poltava. He drove a van over a man who was on the road inspecting his own vehicle.
Finnish man sentenced to four years for traffic accident in Ukraine
A Ukrainian court has sentenced a Finnish humanitarian worker to four years in prison. This is the second court of first instance decision in the case where a man died in May last year near Poltava.
Roope Mustonen struck a man with his van who was on the road and had stopped to inspect his own vehicle. The man died from his injuries in hospital the following night.
Previously, Mustonen had received a six-year sentence, but the appellate court returned the case to the lower court due to formal reasons. The now-imposed four-year sentence is thus two years lighter than before. He was ordered to pay compensation to the deceased man's dependants, but the widow's claim for approximately 300,000 euros in compensation was rejected.
Mustonen has admitted to his actions and has been in custody in Poltava throughout the process. He claims to be the only person in the entire country detained for a similar act. His circle believes that the case may be influenced by the fact that the deceased was employed by Ukraine's security service and his spouse works as a judge in Kharkiv.
The injured party has been absent from several hearings. The decision may be appealed within 30 days, and only after that can the convicted man apply for transfer to his home country.
Source: Yle
Source: Yle Uutiset