Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that he would like to hear a not-guilty verdict in the case of abuse of office by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, but if a court finds her guilty, the former head of government should face the full consequences.
"Yulia Tymoshenko will have a chance to protect herself [in court], and I’m one of those who want this to happen. I would like her to prove that the charges brought against her are false," the Kommersant-Ukraine newspaper quoted Yanukovych as saying in an interview with CNN International news service.
The president said that a court ruling cannot be questioned and that this means the correctness of both acquittal and conviction.
"If the court finds her guilty, she will be punished like any other person," Yanukovych said.
He also recognized the shortcomings of the current judicial system in Ukraine.
"We still have to reform the judicial system in order to fight corruption," Yanukovych said.
