Poroshenko has returned to Ukraine, a court in the treason case is waiting for him – SME.sk

KIEV. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, a member of parliament for the European Solidarity Party, arrived in Kiev from Poland on Monday, where he has a court hearing in the case of treason at 11:00 local time.

The court should decide on Poroshenko’s possible detention, UNIAN agency reported.

According to the UNIAN agency, security measures have been strengthened in the vicinity of Kiev Zhulyany Airport in connection with Poroshenko’s return from Warsaw. Journalists and ex-president supporters were waiting for him there.

Before leaving Warsaw, Poroshenko told reporters that he did not believe he could be arrested after returning to Kiev. Nevertheless, he admitted that the court could send him to prison.

In response to a question from the LB.ua news website, whether he is prepared to pay a billion-dollar bail to avoid arrest, Poroshenko noted that the nature of the suspicion, not the amount of the bail, should be assessed in court.

He also said that his case was an unjustified political persecution. He declared that he would do everything in his power to “continue his political activity as effectively as possible”.

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Asked if he was mentally prepared for possible detention, Poroshenko responded: “First, I will not sit. Second, I will not be imprisoned. I am not (Yulia) Tymoshenko” – Ukrainian ex-prime minister, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for abuse of power when it concluded an unfavorable contract for Russian gas imports in 2009.

According to investigators, Poroshenko (56) suspects that in 2014 and 2015, during his term as president, he helped the self-appointed entities Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic to sell coal for 1.5 billion hryvnia (48 million euros) to Kiev. If found guilty, he would face 15 years in prison for treason.

On January 6, the Kyiv District Court ordered the seizure of the former president’s property in this case. The measure concerns his apartments in the cities of Vinnytsia and Kiev, farmsteads in Kozyn, land, as well as shares of private companies.

UNIAN recalled that the ex-president had previously transferred his most valuable business assets – including the Roshen Confectionery Corp. – to his eldest son.