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Special Police Unit 19 March 2021
 

Representatives of the Maribor Police Directorate and the General Police Directorate explained in today's press conference some details about the case of 16 October 2009, when the police officers of the Maribor Special Unit set free an abducted man and arrested the suspects. They also discussed the problems of violent criminal offences in Slovenia.

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Slavko Koroš, Head of the Organised Crime Section of the Criminal Police Directorate at the GPU

Slavko Koroš, Head of the Organised Crime Section of the Criminal Police Directorate at the GPU, and Franc Oder, Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Police Section of the Maribor Police Directorate participated in today's press conference.

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Franc Oder, Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Police Section of the Maribor Police Directorate

Franc Oder said that Maribor police officers received a report on 15 October 2009 that since Wednesday, 14 October 2009, a Maribor citizen was missing, supposedly a victim of abduction. By collecting information, they determined that a known person from Maribor ordered that two other persons pick up the victim in the evening of 14 October 2009, and take him away to an unknown location.

The reason for the abduction was that in the beginning of the year the contracting authority achieved, in a fraudulent manner and by threats, that the victim signed a purchase contract on the sale of his house; however, the victim never received any payment for the sale. The purchase price wasn't paid even after multiple requests of the victim. The buyer accommodated other persons in the house who paid him rent. The victim was allowed to dwell in the object; however, only in the basement not appropriate for living.

Despite the requests the purchase price wasn't paid; therefore, the victim sought legal assistance through other persons in order to cancel the purchase contract. Namely, the victim didn't dare to enter this procedure on his own due to various threats and pressure, which also led to physical violence - the victim was beaten at least twice in October. Since the suspect found out about the victim's activities, he organised his abduction. The suspects also threatened the person of whom they suspected that he/she helps the victim; moreover, they requested this person stop providing assistance to the victim and refrain from any legal procedures.

The following day when the police officers determined the possible location of the victim, they activated the Special Unit, the members of which set free the victims and arrested all suspects. In this action, the perpetrator was slightly injured. In several house searches, the police officers seized various documents in connection with the purchase of real estate. The circumstances of purchases are still being investigated, since there are indications of possible irregularities.

As stated by Koroš, the suspects committed serious criminal offences in a very rough and long-term manner. Koroš added that considering this, "a clear assessment was passed that we are dealing with risky police procedures that can endanger the safety of police officers as well as of the victim, suspects and other persons. By considering the fundamental freedoms and rights, police officers carried out the capture procedure in a professional, legitimate and decisive manner and by the mildest use of coercive means (physical force)."