Prosecutor General’s Office brandishes threat to imprison Tymoshenko

On Thursday, 28 April 2011, the Prosecutor General’s Office issued a statement in which it accused the leader of the opposition Batkivshchyna Party and former Prime Minister of dragging out the investigation. It warned that this could lead to the use of a stricter preventive measure.  Since the opposition leader is now under a signed undertaking not to abscond, more severe would be to take her into custody.

The statement reads that Ms Tymoshenko was summoned to the GPO for 10.00 on Thursday. She came but said that she would not take part in any investigative actions without her lawyer (who, the statement asserts, had also been summoned) and allegedly left without the investigator’s permission.

As reported, earlier this month yet another criminal investigation was initiated against Yulia Tymoshenko, this time over alleged “abuse of power linked to the signing of gas contracts in 2009”.

At the time the report in the Financial Times stated: In Ukraine, the announcement that Yanukovich-loyal prosecutors had filed a third criminal case against his political rival since last autumn exacerbated concerns expressed in recent months by the US and European Union that his administration was persecuting political opponents. Ms Tymoshenko has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, claiming her opponent wants to ban her from taking part in future parliamentary elections.