Ukrainian prosecutors want to question ex-PM Lazarenko in US

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office hopes for assistance from U.S. agencies in arranging another questioning of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who is serving a prison term in the U.S., regarding the United Energy Systems of Ukraine corporation's debts. "I traveled to the United States last year to take part in the questioning of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Lazarenko at a California prison. That questioning lasted for two days, and that trip was quite productive. But I must say one such questioning is not enough for the investigation. We need to question [former Prime Minister Yulia] Tymoshenko, Lazarenko, [Petro] Kyrychenko [Lazarenko's former aide], and other participants in numerous shady dealings known to everyone," First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin said on Inter television channel on Saturday.

"Such a request for the U.S. government and competent agencies does exist, as well as there are problems with receiving such assistance," Kuzmin said. "We have been trying to set various dates for questioning Lazarenko once again, but unfortunately the final date has still not been set for a year. Therefore, we hope that the U.S. will help us deal with the criminal cases that we are investigating," he said.

Some officials from the U.S. Prosecutor General's Office have been granted U.S. entry visas after former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was convicted for her role in concluding the 2009 gas supply contracts between Ukraine and Russia, he said.