A break in court hearings on the gas case against Ukraine's ex-Premier Yulia Tymoshenko until Sept. 27 might be connected with the fact that Judge Rodion Kireyev needs time to prepare for hearings on other cases, Regions Party MP Volodymyr Oliynyk has said.
"It is a constitutional right of the judge [to order a break in the hearings] under the current legislation. It could be because the judge needs time to prepare for other cases," the press service of the party cited Oliynyk as saying.
The politician described as groundless statements by Tymoshenko’s lawyers that the break shows that the criminal case their client is collapsing. Oliynyk added that the judge has the right to determine the schedule of hearings.
"The break in the hearings until Sept. 27 shows that the court satisfied a petition of the defense and gave it time to prepare for the court debates," he said.
As reported, Rodion Kireyev, the judge of Kyiv’s Pechersky District Court presiding over the trial of Tymoshenko, on Sept. 12 announced a break in the court hearings until 1500 on Sept. 27 to allow the defendant to properly prepare for the court debates and ensure her right to a defense.
