After enduring more than 11 hours of grueling questioning by Ukrainian prosecutor’s on Dec. 30, opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko exited an prosecutorial interrogation room in downtown Kyiv at about 11pm.
She told journalists at the scene that prosecutors had charged her of misspending funds while serving as prime minster in 2009 and called her in to appear before prosecutors again on Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve.
Tymoshenko has already been questioned by Ukrainian prosecutors nine times in December, including a 6 hour session on Dec. 29.
"They showed me the case to getacquainted with it," she said adding that the pre-trial investigation has been completed. "In one day, they presented me with clarifications and expanded charges, that I paid pensions allegedly using ecological funds."
"And now they want to hand this case to Ukraine’s sell-out courts, incriminating me for paying pensions," she added.
Tymoshenko has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, insisting she did all in her power to pay pensions to citizens despite difficulties associated with the 2009 global recession. She has repeatedly called the investigation against her and the arrests of nearly ten associates as part of a politically motivated attack against her camp by the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych denies waging a politically motivated attack and claims prosecutors appointed by him are simply trying to combat corruption.
But on Dec. 30, the U.S. issued a sharp warning to Yanukovych’s administration, expressing concerns that a flurry of arrests and probes “selectively” targeting opposition politicians in Tymoshenko’s camp were “politically motivated.”
“Although as a rule the U.S. Government does not comment on the specifics of individual cases, we have raised with the Ukrainian government our concern that while corruption should be pursued, prosecution should not be selective or politically motivated,” the U.S. State Department said.
“In that context, we also raised our concern that when, with few exceptions, the only senior officials being targeted are connected with the previous government, it gives the appearance of selective prosecution of political opponents,” the statement reads.
