Prosecutor of the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko has offered Obolonsky district court of Kyiv to interrogate President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in the case of high treason of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych in a video conference mode from the presidential administration building.
He announced the relevant motion at a meeting on February 21.
Kravchenko noted that the prosecution’s party had received a letter from the presidential administration, which states that the state guard is constantly being conducted with respect to the president of Ukraine. “The measures of increased security connected with the direct participation in the court session of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko can complicate the work of the court,” the letter read by the prosecutor, says.
In addition, the letter from the presidential administration says that Poroshenko has “valid reasons for not attending the court in connection with his performance of the functions of the head of state.”
“The presidential administration requested the prosecution to put before the court the question of interrogating Poroshenko Petro Oleksiyovych via video conference from the premises of the Ukrainian administration from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.,” Kravchenko said.
In turn, Viktor Yanukovych’s lawyer Vitaliy Serdiuk spoke categorically against the interrogation of Poroshenko in the video conference mode. “The side of the defense thinks it is a shame for the president of Ukraine not to appear in the courtroom and not provide evidence personally.” I appeal to the prosecutors with a request … to give him the opportunity to address the court personally, to personally hear the questions prepared by the defense, and prepared by the prosecutor’s office and personally provide us with the answers.”
The defense lawyer said that there are six cordons of law enforcement officers, sappers, the State Security Service, the National Police, the National Guard in front of the court, and therefore the statements about obstructing the work of the court are groundless.
“Petro Poroshenko personally announced his own decision to come to this court and give evidence, and therefore the president’s word is more important than the statement of the head of the presidential apparatus and the court’s attempt to save the president from uncomfortable questions of defense,” Serdiuk said.
The lawyer also said that there are no grounds provided for by the Criminal Procedure Code for interrogation in the remote mode. According to him, the Criminal Procedure Code provides for interrogation in the remote mode, in case the person and the court are in different cities and if there are circumstances that prevent such persons from appearing in court.
“There is a word of the president of Ukraine that he will appear, give evidence to the court,” the lawyer said
