Hearing of Tymoshenko's case on UESU activities postponed until October 15

KHARKIV - Kyivsky District Court in Kharkiv has postponed the hearing of the case against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko concerning financial irregularities in the United Energy Systems of Ukraine corporation until 10 a.m. on October 15.

"The court has found it impossible to consider the case in the absence of defendant Tymoshenko and her defense counsel, Evhenia," Presiding Judge Kostiantyn Sadovsky said.

State prosecutor Viktor Lobach requested the court adjourn the hearing.

At the same time, the ex-premier's defense counsel Serhiy Vlasenko asked the court to consider stopping the proceedings in connection with Tymoshenko's illness.

As reported, the Russian Defense Ministry filed at Kyiv Economic Court a lawsuit against the Ukrainian government for the non-payment of Hr 3.239 billion under a criminal case on the activities of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) Corporation. Russia demanded the summoning of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the State Treasury Service of Ukraine as defendants in the case. The UESU is the third party on the side of the defendant in the case.

Meanwhile, a district court in Kharkiv is hearing the criminal case against former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko on the activities of the UESU. The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) has filed a lawsuit against Tymoshenko with the demand that she pay Hr 19.5 million under the UESU case. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka said that the UESU case against Tymoshenko was illegally closed in 2005 under pressure from former Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko, following the appointment of Tymoshenko as prime minister.

Tymoshenko is currently undergoing treatment in Kharkiv hospital and refuses to attend court hearings of the UESU case.