LAZARENKO PLANNING TO RETURN TO UKRAINE AFTER ACQUITTAL BY US COURT

Former prime minister Pavlo Lazarenko intends to return to Ukraine after a court in the United States acquits him of all the charges against him.

Maryna Dovhopola, a lawyer for Lazarenko, announced this to Ukrainian News.

"He will return to Ukraine as soon as the judicial process is completed," Dovhopola said.

According to her, he wants to return to Ukraine very much.

Dovhopola stressed that Lazarenko's defense lawyers had no doubt that Lazarenko would be acquitted.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Lazarenko hoped to return to Ukraine by 2008.

Lazarenko decided to return to prison in the United States in October 2008.

The San Francisco District Court (United States) sentenced Lazarenko to 108 months in jail and fined him USD 10 million on August 25, 2006, for money laundering and sale of illegally acquired property abroad when he was Ukraine's prime minister.

Lazarenko was initially accused of laundering USD 114 million through American banks.

Lazarenko was detained in the United States in March 1999 and released on bail on June 14, 2003.