The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into reports that several Moscow police officers wreaked havoc in a brothel, Gazeta.ru reported Friday.
The police officers "committed actions that clearly exceed their authority, namely using violence" against clients at a brothel, an unidentified spokesman for the Investigative Committee was cited as saying by online news portal Gazeta.ru.
If charged with abuse of authority and convicted, the men face up to 10 years in prison.
The incident occurred at the end of September, when the head of an Interior Ministry criminal investigation department allegedly held a scandalous, impromptu party in a brothel while there as part of an investigation, RIA Novosti reported, citing an unidentified source in law enforcement.
According to the source, officers from another department covered for those who took part in the party, but their actions were captured on a hidden camera. A video of the incident showed police beating up two punters while the head of the department got drunk, RIA Novosti cited the source as saying.
"The head of the Interior Ministry's Moscow branch has ordered an internal inquiry, the results of which will determine the culpability of each officer involved in the given events," RIA Novosti cited a police media spokesperson as saying Friday.
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