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Poroshenko signs trial-in-absentia law for those charged with corruption

The president has signed a law that will allow putting former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on trial, presidential press-secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko said
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Nikolay Lazarenko/TASS
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
© Nikolay Lazarenko/TASS

KIEV, October 21. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed legislation allowing courts to put those charged with corruption on trial in their absence, presidential press-secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko writes on his page in Twitter.

“The president has signed a law that will allow putting (former Ukrainian President Viktor) Yanukovych on trial,” he said.

The Ukrainian parliament on October 7 after two attempts adopted in the second reading a bill introducing administration of justice in absentia in relation to persons suspected of corruption and opening up an opportunity for confiscating their assets.

As he presented the bill, Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko explained that the law provided an opportunity to take to the logical outcome tens of criminal cases against former officials, including Yanukovych. Multi-billion assets belonging to these persons are under arrest but cannot be included in the budget without a court decision.