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Ukraine to investigate Tymoshenko over murder-report

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Oct. 30, 2011, 9:19 a.m. | Ukraine — by Reuters
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Ukrainian prosecutors are to investigate whether former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, jailed for abuse of power, was involved in the murder of a member of parliament, news agency Unian quoted a senior prosecutor on Saturday as saying. Tymoshenko's spokeswoman Natalya Lisova dismissed the allegation, saying: "This is absurd. The government desire to get rid of political opposition has crossed all limits."

The investigation is into the 1996 contract killing of deputy Yevhen Shcherban, private agency Unian quoted Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin as saying. Shcherban was shot in an airport.

Kuzmin was quoted as saying prosecutors had evidence that Tymoshenko could be involved in the crime, along with Pavlo Lazarenko, who was prime minister at the time and has since been jailed in the United Staates for fraud and money laundering.

"We have a transcript of a witness being questioned in the United States where the witness states directly that the murder of Shcherban was paid for from Lazarenko and Tymoshenko's accounts," Kuzmin was quoted as saying.

"We have the documents and want to check them."

Aides to Lazarenko have been quoted in Ukrainian media as saying he denies any involvement with the murder.

This month, a district court in Kiev found Tymoshenko guilty of abusing her power in forcing through a 2009 gas deal with Russia and sentenced her to seven years in prison, a verdict she has already appealed against.

She has dismissed all charges against her as part of political vendetta by Viktor Yanukovich who narrowly beat her in the 2010 presidential election.

Tymoshenko rose to prominence in the former Soviet republic in the 1990s as a major gas trader under Lazarenko's government and was once a member of his political party.

State prosecutors have already resurrected a previously closed criminal case linked to her activities at the time that they say left the state budget with significant debt.

Tymoshenko's case has strained the ties between Ukraine and the European Union just months before the two planned to sign a political association agreement which Kiev hopes will eventually lead to its EU accession.

Yanukovich, urged by the West to set her free, has refused to intervene so far and said his government was merely fighting corruption.

Tymoshenko was one of the leaders of the 2004 Orange Revolution which doomed Yanukovich's first bid for the presidency and has since twice served as prime minister.
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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 10:25 a.m.    

The Prosecutor-General's Office has once again engaged itself in its typical boorish behaviour by attempting to link Yulia Tymoshenko with conspiracy to commit murder alongside the discredited former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. Deputy Prosecutor-General Renat Kuzmin's effort to recreate himself in the role of Ukraine's version of "Inspector Clouseau" of the "Pink Panther" movie series would be laughable were it not for the serious repercussions of his ridiculous accusations. It is high time that the EU and G7 nations step in and ratchet up the pressure on the Yanukovych Administration. Verbal reprimands, it would appear, are falling on deaf ears. Placing individuals involved in carrying out the human rights abuses in Ukraine on an official list of "persona non grata" might be a first step in the right direction. The use of a soft paddle will not deter the perpetrators of injustice when all they can understand is a big hammer!!!

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 12:43 p.m.    

The 'judicial' system is fast becoming the laughing stock of the civilised world, extending to darkest Africa. All is rooted in soviet bureaucracy - throw it all off before it's too late.

Now Poland, for example is a model...

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 10:16 p.m.    

The sooner Galicia is turned over to Poland, the sooner Ukrainian agony will end. No point in delaying this.

Lazaranko is jailed in US for many reasons. But most importantly, to hide his many entanglements with Western governments. He is now safe behind bars, and cannot share what he knows. The Lazarenko/Tymoshenko era was one of the most corrupt on the face of earth. While many will be complaining, there are many in Ukaine who are more then happy that the period of wild west in Ukraine is finally exposed, and the stench of that era finally brought to light.

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Anonymous Oct. 31, 2011, 4:03 a.m.    

Yanukovych is creating a police state. Entire Ukraine except some in East primarily Donetsk &quot;support&quot; him. I put support in quotes because it's more accurate to say they are coerced to support him.

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 1:45 p.m.    

What is wrong with you? Why allow these old Soviet tactics to exist? I can't believe Ukrainian people want to have anything to do with their past taskmasters, because when the government acts like this they are emulating KGB thugs.

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 2:54 p.m.    

It worked on former president Kuchma,

he's not going to run again.

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 2:56 p.m.    

Quite right! The Justice(?) system in Ukraine is the laughing stock of the world. Not even the Stalinists engaged in such stupid tactics. Do they not understand that people see through this rubbish they are throwing at Yulia? Now they want Lazarenko to implicate her as well. Let us hope he has more character than Yuschenko. One small woman has thrown the POR and its lackies into a panic. What would they do in case of a real emergency against real enemies. But the more they heap on Yulia the more she increases in stature throughout the world. Are they so stupid as not to understand that? Wow.

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 7:25 p.m.    

People are complaining of human rights violations by the PoR.

Well, if Yulia Tymoshenko paid a team of assassins to kill Yevgeniy Scherban, doesn't that qualify as a human rights violation on her part?

You tell me.

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Anonymous Oct. 31, 2011, 10:48 a.m.    

Maybe you should look into the &quot;evidence&quot; backing up this claim before passing judgement? A transcript of a witness saying something about economic transactions in 1996 is very weak considered as evidence of murder, to say the least. Like the charges for the gas agreement, and all other charges against Tymoshenko, it all boils down to assessments made by political opponents of Tymoshenko. Yanukvych must be very scared, to resort to this kind of smearing campaign.

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 8:31 p.m.    

What does it mean &quot;Ukraine&quot; to investigate Tymoshenko over murder report. Can you be more specific and quote the person who initiated this investigation? Ukraine in my understanding is referring to an entire nation. I certainly didn't ask for such investigation,and nor did millions of Ukrainians! Ukraine has nothing to do with mafia activities!

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Anonymous Oct. 30, 2011, 11:31 p.m.    

Good, she is mafia and should locked up for life

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Anonymous Oct. 31, 2011, 2:22 a.m.    

It is not &quot;Ukraine&quot; that is trying to frame Tymoshenko. It is Yanukovych and his corrupt regime. Hey KP - get it right!!!

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Anonymous Oct. 31, 2011, 4:46 p.m.    

One wonders what they will pin on Yulia next ....she is in prison what more do you want to do to the woman? How anyone can call her Mafia and ignore the fact most of the Rada is Mafia does not make sense. No one in the political arena in the Ukraine is innocent of crimes against the Nation....show me any politicial that is not corrupt to some degree!

I do not quite understand why they think they can pin everything on one person, its almost saying &quot;Yulia is responsible for every woe in the Ukraine!&quot; Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned....VK just better watch his back when she gets out!

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