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Ukrainian court to resume new case against Timoshenko

She is accused of major fraud and tax dodging while she headed the Unified Energy Systems of Ukraine utility in 1995-1997

KIEV, April 28 (Itar-Tass) —— The Kiev district court of Kharkov will on Saturday resume consideration of a new criminal case against jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko. She is accused of major fraud and tax dodging while she headed the Unified Energy Systems of Ukraine utility in 1995-1997.

The court adjourned on April 19 as Timoshenko missed the trial because of bad health. It is unclear whether she would attend on Saturday as she refused to undergo a medical check.

Timoshenko, who is serving a 7-year sentence for office abuse in signing gas supply agreement with Russia in 2009, is accused of “leading a luxurious life at the expense of foreign companies,” according to Prosecutor Viktor Lobach. He said Timoshenko did not pay 87.5 thousand US dollars in taxes.

Prosecutor Viktoria Kalita said Timoshenko used a credit card provided by a foreign company to buy luxury items worth one million dollars. “She did not pay a kopeck (of taxes) to the budget,” she said.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shponka earlier described the case of the Unified Energy Systems as “the biggest fraud in the history of independent Ukraine.”