Tymoshenko to face charges in murder case
By | Associated Press – 12 mins agoKIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine on Monday defied Western pressure to end the prosecution of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, with a top prosecutor saying she will be charged in connection with a murder from 16 years ago.
The statement was likely to draw further anger from the United States and the European Union, who have condemned Tymoshenko's seven-year jail sentence as politically motivated. Top EU officials are already boycotting the European soccer championship matches hosted by Ukraine this month because of the Tymoshenko case.
Tymoshenko, 51, was sentenced to prison in October on charges of abuse of office while conducting natural gas negotiations with Russia. The ex-premier, a charismatic heroine of Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution, alleges President Viktor Yanukovych, a longtime foe, threw her in jail to bar her from parliamentary elections this fall.
Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper published Monday that there is enough evidence to charge Tymoshenko in connection with the murder 16 years ago of Yevhen Shcherban, an influential lawmaker and businessman.
Shcherban was shot to death at an airport along with his wife and an aide in a contract-style killing. Kuzmin charged that he has evidence that companies controlled by Tymoshenko wired money to pay for the killing and that he has witnesses who say she organized and financed Shcherban's murder.
"We have enough evidence that prove Tymoshenko's involvement in that murder and we intend to file charges against her," Kuzmin was quoted as saying.
He did not specify what the charge would be and his office declined to comment. But Kuzmin said Tymoshenko will not be charged in the near future because she is now in hospital receiving treatment for a spinal condition, though he indicated that charges could be filed when she recovers. Tymoshenko is also the subject of a slew of other criminal investigations.
Tymoshenko vehemently denies the allegations. Her party said Kuzmin's accusations are part of Yanukovych's project of getting rid of political opponents. "Ukraine is ruled by a dictator who sets his servants loose against all those who have the courage to speak out against the country's sliding toward a criminal abyss," a party statement said.
Tymoshenko's jailing has brought Ukraine's relations with the West to a low point.
The EU has put on hold a key cooperation agreement with Kiev, which would have been an important step toward eventual integration with the EU. In May, scores of EU heads of state refused to attend a regional summit hosted by Ukraine and that was followed by top EU officials who declined to attend Euro 2012 matches in Ukraine.
Kiev-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said the promise of murder charges against Tymoshenko indicates Yanukovych's disappointment with the West's boycott of the Euro 2012 soccer matches.
"He is probably vexed that EU leaders ignored the Euro, and his answer to them is now "Dream on!" Fesenko said, referring to the prospect of Tymoshenko's release. "It appears that hawks in Yanukovych's circle have gotten the upper hand over doves in the Tymoshenko case."
Most Popular
- Rodney King found dead in swimming pool
- The Dirtiest Things in a Hotel Room Revealed
- 1991 LA police beating victim Rodney King found dead
- Rodney King's plea measures his lasting meaning
- Unger strike: Obama's former professor says he 'must not' win in 2012
- Rielle Hunter Reveals John Edwards' Multiple Mistresses in Tell-All
-
Play Video
Ukraine high court postpones Tymoshenko …
AFP
-
Men chat in front of billboard showing …
Reuters
-
Prosecutor: Jailed Ukraine ex-PM to …
KIEV, Ukraine - A top Ukrainian prosecutor says imprisoned former premier Yulia … Full Story »Prosecutor: Jailed Ukraine ex-PM to face charges in murder case
Associated Press
-
Ukraine moves Tymoshenko to hospital …
AFP
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news! .yahoo.c om/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
Read More @ Source Deadly days spike metro murder rate
Criminal Stories Here
Comments