Former Poroshenko leader returns to Ukraine to face treason Petro Poroshenko News

The former president could face up to 15 years in prison if he is found guilty of the charges against him.

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has returned to Kiev to fight charges of treason in a criminal case he says it was fabricated by his successor Volodymyr Zelenskyy allies.

Poroshenko arrived at the Ukrainian capital’s Zhuliany Airport on Monday to travel from Warsaw and was greeted by thousands of cheering fans.

His return establishes a reunion with the Zelenskyy government, when observers believe it is a distraction that observers believe is a time when Ukraine fears it could be one. the Russian military offensive nearby and asking for help from Western allies.

The former leader, one of the richest businessmen in Ukraine, had been abroad for weeks, meeting with leaders in Brussels, Berlin and other European capitals.

During a brief stoppage of border control, Poroshenko accused border guards of confiscating his passport. He later appeared among supporters waving flags outside the airport.

Poroshenko is expected to go directly to court, where he will be sentenced to life in prison pending investigation and trial.

In a separate speech, Ukrainian investigators said they tried to summon the 56-year-old man, who refused to accept the documents.

High allegations of treason

A prosecutor has alleged that Poroshenko was involved in the sale of large quantities of coal that helped finance Russian-backed separatists who were in conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014-15.

Poroshenko’s assets have been frozen in an investigation into allegations of high treason. He will face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Poroshenko has pleaded not guilty. Zelenskyy is accused of trying to discredit himself politically in order to stay away from widespread problems in Ukraine, including economic problems and the rising death toll from COVID-19.

The accusations are the latest in a series of indictments against Poroshenko’s scandal-ridden history, which has a tumultuous history of reforms. Zelenskyy He was defeated in the 2019 election.

The accusations have raised concerns about resolving the anti-democratic score and have also worried Ukrainian allies.

Zelenskyy says he is fighting the oligarchs with the aim of reducing their political and economic life in Ukraine.

Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.

“It is a revenge of the authorities, and Zelenskyy is an attempt to eliminate his biggest opponent in Ukrainian politics,” Anton Ivashchenko, a 42-year-old man, told The Associated Press at the airport.

“Poroshenko’s persecution is sowing hostility and disagreement … among those who promote it.