10:00 21.12.2010

Former Ukrainian prime minister charged with abuse of power - document

2 min read
Former Ukrainian prime minister charged with abuse of power - document

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been charged with abusing her power and has been ordered to stay in Kyiv during the investigation.

"The evidence collected in Tymoshenko's criminal case overwhelmingly proves that, when holding the post of prime minister, she abused her powers in July 2009, entailing heavy consequences. She single-handedly decided to use part of the funds earned through the sale of greenhouse gas emission quotas to cover the Ukrainian state budget's expenditure, primarily pension commitments," according to a copy of the former prime minister's indictment published in the online Ukrainska Pravda newspaper.

However, Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office spokesman Yuriy Boichenko told Interfax-Ukraine that he could not officially confirm the authenticity of the document's copy.

"I cannot confirm the authenticity of this copy officially," he said.

Boichenko confirmed that the Prosecutor General's Office brought charges against Tymoshenko on Monday.

"She is now a defendant, but her pre-trial restrictions remain the same - she has been ordered to continue staying in Kyiv," he said.

On December 15, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case against Tymoshenko, accusing her of spending money earmarked in the state budget for environmental spending to cover Ukraine's pension arrears during the economic crisis.

Tymoshenko was officially charged on Monday in the presence of her lawyer.

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