Poroshenko Fails To Show Up For Lie Detector Test

KYIV -- Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has failed to show up for a polygraph test at the Kyiv Forensics Research Institute in a tax evasion case.

A representative for the institute, Yuriy Irkhin, told reporters on October 1 that Poroshenko's questioning was scheduled for the morning but the former president never turned up.

Irkhin added that even several hours after the appointed time, the institute was ready to perform questioning with a lie detector. However, that chance never materialized.

A court in Kyiv granted permission for authorities to administer a polygraph test to Poroshenko in August.

The former president told reporters on August 12 that he is ready to answer questions with the use of a polygraph, but only in the studio of the Pryamiy (Direct) television channel, adding that he did not trust the State Bureau for Investigations (DBR).

However, Irkhin told journalists that it was impossible to conduct polygraph questioning in a live broadcast.

“Unfortunately, forensic examination excludes live broadcasts. We are talking about forensics, but a live broadcast is a television show," Irkhin said.

During his unsuccessful re-election bid earlier this year, Poroshenko enjoyed enormous coverage on Pryamiy and local media have reported that he is the ultimate owner of the channel, though he denies this.

In recent weeks, the DBR questioned Poroshenko twice as a witness over the sale of Pryamiy and alleged tax evasion during the transaction.

A billionaire confectioner, Poroshenko and his party ran on a pro-European, anti-Russian ticket in the July parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats.