Party leader Tymoshenko's defence says she needs to travel abroad in January and February

Lawyers representing Yuliia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna parliamentary faction, have asked Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court to add documents to the case file indicating that she needs to travel abroad in January and February to attend certain events.

Source: Mykola Tytarenko, Tymoshenko's defence lawyer, during a hearing in the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine

Quote: "I ask the court to add to the case file documents confirming the need for Tymoshenko to attend events planned in the United States as well as in other international institutions. The events are scheduled for January and February."

Details: Tytarenko said that the request is linked to the court's consideration of possible restrictions on foreign travel as part of the pre-trial restriction.

The judge asked whether any of the overseas events were scheduled for the next few days. The lawyer replied that they were "not for today and not for tomorrow".

Quote from the judge: "Then let's first decide the issue of the pre-trial restriction and then we will see… Because nobody has made any decision yet… But please add [the relevant documents]."

Previously: The Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) says that it plans to ask the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine to impose a bail of UAH 50 million (US$1.2 million).

Before the hearing, Yuliia Tymoshenko claimed that tapes released by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) have been falsified, as such a conversation "has never taken place in her life".

Background:

• On the evening of Tuesday 13 January, NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) reported that they had uncovered corruption involving the leader of a parliamentary faction. Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that the case concerns Yuliia Tymoshenko.
• The anti-corruption bodies stated that a leader of the parliamentary faction had been exposed for allegedly offering unlawful benefits to several MPs from other factions in exchange for voting for or against specific draft laws.
• The case has been qualified under Article 369.4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (offering, promising or giving an unlawful benefit).
• On the morning of 14 January, sources in political circles told Ukrainska Pravda that anti-corruption agencies had served Tymoshenko with a notice of suspicion.
• Later, Tymoshenko confirmed that searches had been carried out at her party's office but said she rejected all accusations. She later stated that the searches at her office had begun at 21:30 on 13 January, when she was alone on the premises. She claimed that anti-corruption officers had arrived in five minibuses, acted without a court warrant and had not allowed her to call a lawyer. They also searched the locked office of Serhii Vlasenko, an MP from her political party.
• NABU and SAPO officially announced that Yuliia Tymoshenko had been served with a notice of suspicion over allegations of offering unlawful benefits to MPs on a regular basis.
• In the recordings released by NABU, Tymoshenko is heard discussing with an unidentified MP a payment system for specific votes in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).

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