Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has returned to face court on treason charges he believes are politically motivated.
Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has returned to face court on treason charges he believes are politically motivated. A fter arriving at the Kyiv airport from Warsaw on Monday morning, Poroshenko was greeted by several thousand cheering supporters. Some carried banners reading: “We need democracy”, and: “Stop repressions”. From the airport, Poroshenko headed straight to court, which will rule on whether to remand him in custody pending investigation and trial. A prosecutor has alleged that Poroshenko, owner of the Roshen confectionery empire and one of Ukraine’s richest businessmen, was involved in the sale of large amounts of coal that helped finance Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014-15. Poroshenko’s assets have been frozen as part of an investigation into the allegations of high treason. The former leader of Ukraine faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
