A preparatory hearing was supposed to take place in the Podilskyi District Court of Kyiv regarding the disappearance of cash from PrivatBank's cash registers, among the accused of which is businessman Ihor Kolomoisky. The consideration of the matter again did not start, and the defendant on that day celebrated his 63rd birthday while in custody. This is reported by TSN.
At the hearing, in addition to prosecutors, judges, and lawyers, friends of the businessman came to congratulate him on the holiday. The court hearing lasted only a few minutes and ended without any procedural decisions.
Kolomoisky's case in the Podilskyi court: why the process is dragging on
The proceedings, which the detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security have been investigating since August 2023, have repeatedly changed their narrative. During the investigation, bank checks were conducted, including international audits, which, according to the defense, questioned the very fact of the crime.
This is just one of three criminal proceedings against Kolomoisky. In all cases, as noted by the lawyers, hearings are regularly postponed, although the businessman has been in a pre-trial detention center all this time. The current hearing was no exception.
Igor Kolomoisky's birthday: guests and lawyer's comment
Among those present in the hall, journalists noticed Maria Tyha, who is known on social media as a famous Ukrainian witch. She claimed to have made a layout regarding the prospects of the case and suggested that the court hearings would continue to be prolonged.
Igor Kolomoisky's lawyer Oleg Pushkar commented on the situation, emphasizing the risk of an endless process. According to him, the law provides for a mechanism for a reserve judge to avoid starting the review from the beginning in case of illness or dismissal of judges.
Recall that in February, during a court hearing, a dispute arose between Ihor Kolomoisky and the judge over the ban on live broadcasting.