Tymoshenko's second case unrelated to interstate relations - Lavrov
MOSCOW. Oct 17 (Interfax) - The new case of ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is rooted exclusively in the debts of a Ukrainian private company, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
"A Ukrainian private company owes the Defense Ministry. That is all I think about it," he said.
It was reported on October 13 that the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) opened a criminal case against Tymoshenko and another ex-Ukrainian Pavlo Lazarenko. In particular, Tymoshenko is accused of conspiring, while being the president and actual owner of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine, with Lazarenko to misuse Ukrainian public funds laying the $405.5-million liabilities of the UESU private corporation on the Ukrainian government.
Tymoshenko became chief of the UESU company in 1995. In 1996, she was elected to the parliament.
It was reported that on June 15, 2011, head of the parliamentary Provisional Investigative Commission Inna Bohoslovkaya (Party of Regions) said that ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was dependant on Russia in signing the gas contracts in 2009, because "Tymoshenko's private companies, which were owned by her and her family, still have outstanding debts to the Russian Defense Ministry of over $405 million."
The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers confirmed that a letter has been registered from the Russian Defense Ministry, asking to repay the debt of United Energy Systems of Ukraine.
Later, this information was also confirmed by Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin, who said that Tymoshenko owes more than $405 million to Russian companies and the Russian Defense Ministry.
On October 12, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said that the Cabinet is currently waiting for conclusions from lawyers and law enforcement authorities, regarding the recovery of the UESU debt from Ukraine in favor of the Russian Defense Ministry.
Earlier the Pechersky District Court in Kyiv found Tymoshenko guilty of exceeding her authority while signing gas contracts with Russia and sentenced her to seven years in prison.
Tymoshenko was also banned from holding public office for three years.
The court also granted Naftogaz Ukraine's lawsuit and obliged Tymoshenko to repay about 1.5 billion hryvni in damages to Naftogaz Ukrainy.