Kiev Court Defers Consideration Of Prosecutors' Appeal Against Verdict In Poroshenko Case

The Kiev Court of Appeal says it could not begin consideration of prosecutors' appeal against the decision not to arrest former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday as it had not been provided with case materials

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2022) The Kiev Court of Appeal says it could not begin consideration of prosecutors' appeal against the decision not to arrest former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday as it had not been provided with case materials.

On January 19, the Pecherskyi District Court ruled the mildest restraint of freedom for Poroshenko in an ongoing criminal case, obligating him to report to the court immediately if told to but without arresting him. Prosecutors were asking that he be detained for two months, with a 1 billion hryvnia ($35.7 million Dollars) bail.

"As of now, the Kiev Court of Appeal has not received materials of the criminal case from the Pecherskyi District Court for reasons that are beyond the control of the panel of judges. In this regard, it is impossible to hold an appeal hearing on the submitted complaints today. The panel of judges is taking this case off the appeal consideration," a presiding judge said during a conference broadcast on the court's YouTube channel.

The prosecutors, the defense and Poroshenko himself did not arrive at the court on time for the hearing. The ex-president entered the building after the hearing had already been postponed.

A new session of the court will take place on February 11 at 11:59 local time (09:59 GMT).

Poroshenko was first charged with treason and abetting terrorism in a case concerning coal supplies from the breakaway Ukrainian region of Donbas. The Pecherskyi District Court seized all of Poroshenko's property on January 6. The ex-president said that 130 criminal cases had been initiated against him, but about 40 of them have already been closed.

Poroshenko is also a suspect in a criminal probe into Serhiy Semochko's appointment to the post of the first deputy head of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service. The ex-Ukrainian president is charged with abuse of power.