You're reading: Court postpones consideration of Lutsenko’s appeal

Kyiv Court of Appeal has postponed its consideration of former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko's appeal until Wednesday, January 5.

The decision was announced at a court meeting by the presiding judge, Oleksandr Bets, who satisfied a petition by Lutsenko’s lawyer Ihor Fomin.

The defense lawyer insisted that his client had submitted a request that his appeal not be considered by the court in his absence, as Lutsenko himself wants to explain his position to the court regarding his arrest and the opening of a criminal case against him.

The judge said at the beginning of the trial that the court had not received any statement from Lutsenko requesting to attend a court meeting.

The consideration of the case was postponed until 1100 on January 5.

On December 13, Lutsenko and his former driver Leonid Prystupliuk were charged with the large-scale embezzlement of state property worth UAH 360,000, as well as the abuse of power and the use of forged documents.

In addition, one more criminal case was opened against Lutsenko under Part 3, Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the abuse of power and the abuse of office).

Lutsenko was detained near his house on December 26, 2010. Pechersky District Court on December 27 ordered Lutsenko to be jailed for two months due to the fact that "the accused did not come to the investigator, grossly violating the demands envisaged by a travel ban."

Lutsenko was transferred from a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) prison to Lukianivka Prison No. 13.