Court detains ex-chief of Ukraine's General Staff Zamana for month

26.02.2019 09:51

Ukrinform

Kyiv's Pechersky District Court has chosen the measure of restraint in the form of detention for the former chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Volodymyr Zamana, Ukrinform reports.

"[The court rules] to grant the petition filed by prosecutor Osychenko of the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine on the application of the preventive measure in the form of detention in relation to suspect Volodymyr Mykhailovych Zamana, born on December 3, 1959 birth. [...] The term of detention of Volodymyr Mykhailovych Zamana should be counted until March 27, 2019," investigating judge Viacheslav Pidpaly said.

He also noted that the ruling could be appealed at Kyiv Court of Appeal within five days from the date of its announcement.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, a court session lasted more than nine hours during which the defense and prosecution parties provided justifications to the court.

"Preparing the petition, the prosecution party proceeded from the fact that the suspicion was sufficiently substantiated. [...] The prosecution considers as evidence of the commission of a criminal offense by the suspect the conclusion of a judicial military examination, according to which suspect Zamana violated specific rules of the law that led to grave consequences," the prosecution party said.

Early on February 25, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office and Ukraine's SBU Security Service detained the former chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Volodymyr Zamana, under Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason), which does not provide for an alternative to post bail.

Zamana served as chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from February 2012 to February 19, 2014. From February 22 to June 2014, he worked as parliament envoy overseeing the activities of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Zamana rejected all allegations during his speech at the court hearing and stated that he was ready to prove his innocence in court. In addition, he proposed handing in his foreign passport to remove the suspicion of attempts to flee the country.