Kyiv Pechersky District Court has postponed indefinitely the hearing of an appeal of former Interior Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko against a ruling to close the criminal case on crimes committed against him by officials of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) and judges of Kyiv's Pechersky District Court and Court of Appeals.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine reporter, the court decided so in connection with Lutsenko’s motion for the recusal of Judge Viktor Kytsiuk.
“Another judge will consider the motion for the recusal of the judge, thus the court is announcing an indefinite break in the hearing,” Kytsiuk said.
Lutsenko explained his petition by the fact that First Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Renat Kuzmin is a member of the Supreme Council of Justice and could put pressure on Kytsiuk.
At the court hearing on Monday the ex-minister also motioned to discharge the state prosecutor from the case, as he is subordinated to Kuzmin.
According to Lutsenko, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka is the only independent prosecutor that could represent the PGO at the court hearing.
In turn, Judge Kytsiuk overruled Lutsenko’s petition.
The ex-minister also stated that he has not had a chance to read the materials of the case and asked the court to provide him with such an opportunity.
Lutsenko also said he was unhappy about the fact that his appeal is considered by court via a video linkup, as he is unable to consult with his defense lawyer properly.
As reported, Lutsenko was detained on Dec. 25, 2010.
Kyiv Pechersky District Court found the ex-minister guilty of a number of counts of abuse of office and sentenced him to four years in prison on Feb. 27, 2012. Lutsenko was also charged with interfering in an investigative case concerning Valentyn Davydenko, the driver of former SBU First Deputy Chief Volodymyr Satsiuk, as part of an investigation into the poisoning of then presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko on Aug. 17, 2012 by Pechersky Court. The court sentenced Lutsenko to two years in prison. Kyiv Court of Appeals upheld the verdict.
Lutsenko has been serving a sentence in Mena colony, Chernihiv region, since the end of August 2012.
On Dec. 26, 2012, Lutsenko asked Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka to prosecute First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin and investigator Serhiy Voichenko for making a decision on his detention and arrest.
On Feb. 1, 2013, Kyiv Pechersky District Court rule to consider via a video linkup Lutsenko’s appeal against a ruling to close the criminal case on crimes committed against him by officials of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine and judges of Kyiv’s Pechersky District Court and Court of Appeals.
