The defense lawyer for former prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, Serhiy Vlasenko has said that there is a decision about the compulsory delivery of his client to the court hearing of the case on financial irregularities within the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) corporation on January 18.
“Yesterday, Yulia Volodymyrivna [Tymoshenko] received information from the staff of the Penitentiary Service of Ukraine that the prison service received yesterday instructions that no matter what she should be brought to the court hearings slated for January 18 of next year,” Vlasenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
The defense lawyer added that according to the information available to Tymoshenko she would be escorted by officers of the Berkut special unit, which were instructed to bring the former prime minister to court by force.
“We will use all available legal means and instruments to counteract any violation of the law. If on January 18, Yulia Tymoshenko’s health allows her to take part in the hearing, then she will take part in it,” he said.
As reported, on December 18, the court hearing of a case against Tymoshenko concerning financial abuse within the UESU Corporation was adjourned until January 18, 2013, due to the absence of the defendant.
Tymoshenko faces five charges in the case – organizing the appropriation of public funds of an especially large amount in 1997-1998 via illicitly receiving value added tax (VAT) (Part 3 of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), attempting to appropriate public funds of an especially large amount in 1997-1998 via illicitly receiving VAT (Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 15, Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code), tax evasion by the UESU Corporation (Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code), the non-payment of income tax (Part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code), and committing a crime via official forgery (Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code).
A preliminary hearing of the case was held on April 19, 2012 in the absence of Tymoshenko. Since then the court has been putting off hearings due to the fact that Tymoshenko kept refusing to attend the hearings due to her state of health.
On October 11, 2011, Pechersky District Court in Kyiv sentenced Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for abuse of office in signing gas contracts with Russia in 2009. She has served her sentence in Kachanivska Penal Colony in Kharkiv since late December 2011.
On May 9, 2012, Tymoshenko was transferred to Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv to undergo a course of treatment.
