Former First Deputy Prime Minister under Yanukovych, Andrii Kliuev, who is accused of misappropriating budget funds, has failed to appear at the substantive hearing for the fourth time. As a result, the HACC granted the prosecutor’s motion and ruled to conduct the trial in absentia.
The prosecutor requested that the court initiate special judicial proceedings against Kliuev, as he is evading justice in Russia and is on the international wanted list.
Another defendant in the case, Oleksandr Taran, former Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Investments and Innovations, has been attending court hearings regularly, so the prosecutor did not request in absentia proceedings for him.
Kliuev’s defense lawyer stated that he left Ukraine in February 2014 due to threats to his life. According to her, he wanted to take part in the 2019 parliamentary elections and had requested to have his wanted status lifted.
As a reminder, the NABU and SAPO accuse former First Deputy Prime Minister Andrii Kliuev and former head of the State Investment Agency Oleksandr Taran of embezzling nearly UAH 200 million in budget funds.