All news

Prosecutor proposes to adjourn court hearing in Timoshenko’s second case

The Ukrainian Health Ministry commission said on Thursday that Timoshenko would be unable to attend the court hearing on May 21 due to her health condition

KIEV, May 18 (Itar-Tass) — The public prosecutor has proposed to adjourn the hearing of the second case of ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Friday. The hearing was scheduled for May 21 at the Kharkov Kiyevsky District Court.

“The prosecutors asked for adjourning the hearing because the defendant, ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, is taking a rehabilitation course at the Kharkov hospital. Doctors recommend that the rehabilitation course should not be interrupted and the defendant should not be transported to the courtroom,” prosecutor Viktor Lobach said.

“The defendant has the right to protect her interests at court, and prosecutors must observe rights of the defendants in accordance with laws and the European Court practice,” he said. “Besides, the participation of Timoshenko in the hearing is mandatory. Hence we will ask the court to adjourn the hearing.”

The Ukrainian Health Ministry commission said on Thursday that Timoshenko would be unable to attend the court hearing on May 21 due to her health condition.

The new case relates to Timoshchenko’s activity at the Unified Energy Systems of Ukraine – natural gas importer – from 1995-1997. She is suspected of concealing hard currency revenues, evading more than 16 million hryvni (over $2 million) worth of taxes, embezzling more than 25 million hryvni with the unlawful VAT refunds and attempting embezzlement of $405.5 million hryvni of public funds.

Back on October 11, 2011, a court sentenced her to seven years for exceeding the authority in the signing of the gas contracts with Russia in 2009.

Currently, Timoshenko is receiving therapy at the Kharkov Ukrzheldorogi hospital. She was admitted to the hospital on May 9. A doctor from the Charite Clinic Berlin is supervising the therapy.

Acting head of the Kharkov regional department of the Ukrainian State Penitentiary Service Yevgeny Barash said that three rooms had been assigned for Timoshenko on the 9th floor of the hospital: a hospital room with a bed, a wardrobe, a wall lamp, a wash basin, a toilet, an electric kettle, a water cooler and a plasma TV. There is also a dining room and a room for meeting with lawyers. The same floor has a plasmapheresis room and a remedial gymnastic room.