The fifth department of the Investigative Committee’s Directorate based in the city of Novosibirsk continues the investigation in the death of people in Irkutsk after drinking some alcohol-containing substance (part 3 of Article 238 of the RF Penal Code – production, storage, selling of goods and products which do not meet safety standards entailing death of two or more people by negligence).
From 16 to 27 December, the Irkutsk police received 123 reports on methanol poisoning and found dead bodies of the poisoned people. As of now, 77 people are dead, 16 are in hospitals.
By now, there are 22 detainees. 7 of them have been placed in custody pending trial, 10 more are under house arrest, 4 have been released on recognizance. One of the detainees will stay in detention for 72 more hours while expecting the restraint. Deputy head of the Irkutsk Region Office of Rospotrebnadzor (the federal consumer protection authority) Mikhail Luzhnov detained earlier, has been taken to a hospital due to health troubles.
Charges of production, storage, selling of goods and products or execution of work which do not meet safety standards under Article 238 of the RF Penal Code have been pressed today against 7 of the detainees.
The investigators have conducted 154 searches, questioned more than 215 people, including 98 victims and their representatives. 18 of the searches were conducted in outlets selling alcohol, more than 120 forensic inquiries have been assigned. The investigation is ongoing.
Acting Head of Media Relations S.L. Petrenko
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