A defense counsel for former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Serhiy Vlasenko, has said that prosecutors are investigating three more criminal cases against him.
Vlasenko confirmed at a press conference on Monday that his representative was in the Prosecutor General's Office on March 11 and received a notification of the closure of criminal proceedings in connection with the non-fulfillment of a court ruling.
However, he said his representative had been informed in the Prosecutor General's Office that three more criminal cases were being investigated. Vlasenko said that the first one concerns that he allegedly stole his own car. The second case is being investigated on charges of robbery, and he has no information on the third case.
"In fact, the pressure has not decreased, but increased, and I'm deeply convinced that they will soon detain and arrest me," Vlasenko said.
Earlier, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office reported that Vlasenko had been invited to visit the central investigation department at 1000, but he did not arrive, and his representative later came instead of him.
Vlasenko's representative was handed a notification of the closure of criminal proceedings on an appeal of his ex-wife, Natalia Okunska.
On March 5, 2013, the PGO reported that the criminal case on non-fulfillment of a court ruling against Serhiy Vlasenko had been closed.
"The criminal proceeding on [Vlasenko's ex-wife Natalia] Okunska's statement on the non-fulfillment of a court ruling by Vlasenko has been closed due to the absence of evidence of crime. In connection with this, Vlasenko is summoned to the PGO's Main Department for Investigation of Priority Cases to read the decision," the press service said.
Earlier on March 5, Vlasenko told journalists that that PGO had summoned him for interrogation as a witness on March 11.
"On March 4 they sent me summon to the PGO for March 11 for an interrogation as a witness on another absurd criminal case," he said.
In January 2013 Vlasenko stated that he could be detained in the near future. He said that the reason for his detention could be alleged non-fulfillment of court rulings in a civil case by him, as well as his alleged actions classified as assault with intent to rob.
He said that a ruling of Kyiv Pechersky District Court accuses him of non-fulfillment of a court ruling in court disputes between him and his ex-wife Okunska.
Vlasenko also stated that experts of Kyiv Forensic Medicine Bureau tried to falsify evidence in a criminal case against him.
"I mean alleged physical damage allegedly caused by me… Now they are falsifying [a case on] injuries of moderate severity under articles of the Criminal Code," he said.
In late January 2013 First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin said that the PGO was checking statements by Okunska about an alleged beating of her by her ex-husband.
Kuzmin said that Vlasenko's ex-wife had filed several appeals saying that he used physical force against her in the presence of their children and other people.
On March 6, the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine ruled to annul Vlasenko's parliamentary mandate.
