Kharkov court to consider new criminal case against Timoshenko
KIEV. April 19. KAZINFORM Ukraine's Kharkov district court will consider a new criminal case against former prime minister Yulia Timoshenko suspected of financial abuse, while she headed the Unified Energy Systems of Ukraine corporation.
Under the effective legislation at its preliminary session the court will consider whether there are enough grounds to close the criminal case, Itar-Tass reports.
Timoshenko is serving a seven year prison sentence in Kharkov's Kachanovsky penal colony for abuse of office while signing a gas agreement with Russia back in 2009. The colony's head, Ivan Pervushkin, told reporters that the colony received no instruction to convoy the ex-prime minister to the court.
"I have no documents on this issue. I have no instruction to convoy," he said.
The state penitentiary service said in turn Yulia Timoshnko declined to take part in a trial on the Unified Energy Systems of Ukraine on April 19.
"Enjoying my rights in compliance with Ukraine's criminal code I ask to hold this trial on the above-mentioned case in my absence over my grave health condition," Timoshenko said.
The former prime minister's lawyer, Alexander Plakhotnyuk forecasts that until May 15 the court will pronounce a new verdict accusing Timoshenko of financial abuse. Under these articles she may face up to 12 years in prison.