Pechersky court continues preliminary hearing on gas case against Tymoshenko

The Pechersky District Court in Kyiv continued on Saturday morning a preliminary hearing of a criminal case against Batkivschyna Party leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on charges of abuse of office during the signing of gas contracts with Russia in 2009.

Judge Rodion Kireyev announced the continuation of a court session on the Tymoshenko case.

Tymoshenko's lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko asked the court to consider her client's petition to close the case, an Interfax-Ukraine reporter said.

Tymoshenko and Vlasenko talked to journalists before entering the courthouse.

She told reporters that while the court is considering her case, the Ukrainian authorities are doing everything to sell the Ukrainian gas transport system.

"They, under the guise of scandals and elimination of the opposition, are giving our gas transport system away. Yesterday, they quietly took a decision of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, which foresees that the gas transport system will be taken from Naftogaz Ukrainy and transferred to another company," Tymoshenko said.

"This means that the process of taking away from Ukraine an asset, which costs $150 billion, has started," she added.

As reported, Tymoshenko is charged with the misuse of funds received by Ukraine under the Kyoto Protocol, and abuse of office while purchasing Opel Combo vehicles against government guarantees. In April 2011, the Prosecutor General's Office opened a third criminal case against Tymoshenko concerning her exceeding her authority and abusing office in signing gas contracts in 2009.