Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Onyschenko claims to have turned over compromising materials on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to the U.S. government.

In an article appearing in the Internet Ukrayinska Pravda publication Onyschenko said Ukrainian Security Services (SBU) charges against him [for treason], are a response to information published on the Strana.ru Internet resource on Wednesday, in which Onyschenko accuses the Poroshenko administration of "buying" votes in parliament against him and other MPs.

Onyschenko claims to have recorded his conversations with Poroshenko on a digital recording device fitted in his watch.

"You will hear the voice of the guarantor of [Ukraine's] Constitution and all your illusions about love for the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian people will disappear. I have hung around with [Poroshenko] for two years and know him well," Onyschenko was quoted as saying.

Onyschenko said the information refutes myths about the "gas scandal" he is implicated in.

The MP, who is located outside of Ukraine, said he gave the kompromat to U.S. spy agencies on November 29.

"[U.S.] agents flew to my location in Europe," he said and showed a copy of a letter from U.S. prosecutors.

The deputy denied being a citizen of the Russian Federation.

As earlier reported, during a briefing on Thursday the head of the main investigation bureau of the SBU Hryhoriy Ostafiychuk said the pretrial investigation of Onyschenko for treason had been launched. He said Onyschenko had agreed to work with Russian authorities in order to escape responsibility [for criminal activities] he is suspected of committing in Ukraine. Onyschenko "is preparing a massive information attack on [Ukrainian] authorities as part of a strategy developed by the Russian side," he said.

Onyschenko is suspected of organizing a criminal scheme to embezzle funds for the extraction and sale of natural gas involving activities of PJC Ukrgazvydobyvannia, resulting in the loss of UAH 3 billion. He is suspected of committing crimes pursuant to Part 1 of Article 255, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 5 of Article 191, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 205, Part 4 of Article 278, Part 3 of Article 209, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 264-1 and Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Ukraine's parliament voted to bring Onyschenko to justice, as well as to detain and arrest him. However, on the eve of the vote, Onyschenko fled Ukraine. He was put in the wanted list on August 8.