Vladimir Zaman stands accused of reducing the number of combat-ready military personnel and disbanding military units, but he does not admit his guilt.
The Pecherskyi district court of Kiev chose a measure of restraint for the former chief of the General Staff Vladimir Zaman as detention until March 27, 2019. Zaman is suspected of high treason.
Prosecutors demanded that the suspect should be detained since he could leave the country.
Zaman, in particular, is accused of reducing the number of combat-ready military personnel and disbanding military units. His actions allegedly deprived the state of air defense.
The offenses charged on Zaman do not include for the possibility of bail.
The former head of the General Staff confirmed that, as a soldier with more than 36 years of experience, he understood that he is facing serious accusations, but also claims that the text of charges “does not contain even a single letter of truth”.
“Fabrication of facts and slander,” Zaman described the text of charges.
According to the ex-head of the General Staff, the witnesses whose testimony is referred to by the investigation, he was dismissed from his post “for improper fulfillment of official duties”.
Zaman assured that he is ready to answer for each directive, in particular, about the reduction of military units and explain his decisions, emphasizing that it was not he who coordinated these documents, but all of the General Staff.
The former head of the General Staff claims that he had no contact with the military forces of the Russian Federation, and he visited Russia only once when he was sent there “to do the negotiations”.
Zamana denies conspiracy with ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and assures that he saw him only during official meetings. Earlier, at a meeting on February 25, the judge of the Pecherskyi District Court, Vyacheslav Pidpaly, granted the defense motion for the admission of documents describing Zaman’s personality and the diagnosis of chronic disease established in 2014 (not disclosed).
Lawyer Yury Martynenko noted that for the health condition of Zaman requires daily treatment.
The defense explained that Zaman denies the charges and his guilt, but he was ready to prove his innocence in court, and in order to confirm that he was not going to flee; he was ready to surrender his passport.