Kazakh border guard denies killing fellow servicemen
TALDYKORGAN. Dec 5 (Interfax) - Border guard Vladislav Chelakh, who is accused of killing 14 people, denies killing his fellow servicemen and a game keeper, whose bodies were found at the Arkankergen border checkpoint.
"I did not kill the border guards and game keeper Kim," he said at the Taldykorgan court on Wednesday.
"I had good rapport with all servicemen. We did not have any differences on ethnic or other issues," he said.
After a recess, Chelakh agreed to testify in the case with some reservations. "I will testify. I will not answer any questions. I have evidence and I will give it. I don't want to answer questions," Chelakh said.
"There were 14 combat guns and one training gun at the checkpoint. There was one pistol (Kereyev had it). There were no grenades," he said.
In November 2011, Chelakh was conscripted in the Kazakh army and was sent to the border guard service of the Kazakh National Security Committee. In spring 2012, private Chelakh was sent to the border checkpoint Arkankergen, Alakom district of the Almaty region, Kazakh-Chinese border.
On May 30, a detail from the Sary Bokter border post of the Usharal border unit of the Shygys (East) regional border service department found the burned building of the Arkankergen border post operated by 15 border guards in the summer season.
The remains of 14 people were found at the scene. The gamekeeper's body was found at a hunter's house nearby.
Chelakh is charged in the killings.
