The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office on Monday called for the arrest of ex-president Petro Poroshenko on suspicion of “high treason”, or to impose a bail of around 30 million euros, a case that risks causing a domestic political crisis. , in the midst of geopolitical tensions with Russia.
After a day of hearing, Judge Oleksiï Sokolov left to deliberate. Late in the evening, he said his decision would be announced at 1 p.m. GMT on Wednesday.
“We did not win the war, not even a battle, but we preserved our positions”, welcomed Mr. Poroshenko at the exit of the court in front of hundreds of his supporters gathered outside despite the temperatures close to 0 ° vs.
Former head of state and opponent of President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose main rival he is, Mr. Poroshenko, a 56-year-old billionaire, returned to Ukraine in the morning, after a month of absence, despite the threat of an arrest.
Greeted by thousands of his supporters gathered in front of the airport, he immediately went to a court in the capital to decide on his possible detention.
During the hearing, one of the prosecutors, Kostiantyn Chvets, asked for bail of one billion hryvnias (about 30 million euros) as well as the wearing of an electronic bracelet in exchange for his continued release. Otherwise, Petro Poroshenko will be remanded in custody.
Denouncing “summary justice”, the ex-president accused the authorities of doing Moscow’s business with the prosecutions against him.
“It is impossible to divide the country when the enemy Putin is at the door,” he said.
” Divert attention “
One of Ukraine’s richest men with a fortune estimated at $1.6 billion by the magazine Forbes, Mr. Poroshenko accuses his successor of having ordered the proceedings against him to “divert attention” from the real problems of the country and tarnish the image of his rival.
The authorities suspect him of having maintained, during his presidency, business ties with pro-Russian separatists in the east, which would constitute an act of “high treason”, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
This showdown comes at a time when Ukraine fears being invaded by neighboring Russia, which has been massing troops on its borders for months.
Moscow denies any plan for a military offensive, but demands, under penalty of reprisals, that Americans and Europeans commit never to accept Ukraine within NATO. A claim so far rejected.
Mr. Poroshenko led his country from 2014 to 2019, before being beaten by Mr. Zelensky, an ex-comedian new to politics.
Now a deputy, the former president has since been cited in dozens of court cases.
In December, the authorities announced that they suspected him of “high treason”. Mr. Poroshenko rejects these accusations as a whole. Washington and London have said they are following this case closely.
Close to Putin
At the beginning of January, a court in Kiev ordered the freezing of the assets of the ex-president, who notably owns a large confectionery company, Roshen, and two television channels.
Investigators accused him on Monday of working with wealthy pro-Russian tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, to facilitate the 2014 and 2015 purchase of coal from companies in eastern Ukraine, at the hands of pro-Russian separatists who are at war with Kiev.
According to the prosecution, the former president had thus de facto used state funds to finance the separatists.
Ukraine has been torn since 2014 by a conflict in the east of its territory between forces from Kiev and pro-Russian separatists, a conflict that began after the annexation of Crimea by Moscow and left more than 13,000 dead.
Any attempt to cooperate with the separatists, of which Moscow is widely considered the military sponsor, is very badly perceived by many Ukrainians.
Mr. Poroshenko, who seems determined to take his revenge and is counting in particular on patriotic, even nationalist circles, assures us that the objective of this affair is to link his name to the close friend of Putin, presented as his accomplice, in order to begin his electoral support.