Party leader Tymoshenko says recordings exposing her for corruption are fabricated

Yuliia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna party and parliamentary faction, who is due to have a pre-trial restriction measure imposed on her on 16 January in a case concerning bribery allegations, has claimed that tapes released by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) have been falsified, as such a conversation "has never taken place in her life".

Source: Tymoshenko ahead of a hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court

Quote: "First of all, I want to state very clearly that I have never said such words. Today I will present evidence in court that this audio recording has been completely fabricated."

Details: Asked by journalists whether she had offered money to MPs, the Batkivshchyna leader repeated: "Such a conversation has never taken place in my life. Never."

Responding to remarks that the tapes contain a phrase about "bringing down the majority", Tymoshenko said that this never happened either.

"I am telling you that this conversation has never taken place. And I hope that today we will be given these materials – the original – for examination. We will conduct an independent expert review that will answer all your questions. This is clearly a politically motivated stunt," the politician said.

She also said that no pre-trial restriction can be applied to her.

"There is no criminal offence, and there can be no pre-trial restrictions. Everything you see is a display of political absurdity," Tymoshenko concluded.

Background:

• On the evening of Tuesday 13 January, NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) reported that they had uncovered corruption involving the leader of a parliamentary faction. Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that the case concerns Yuliia Tymoshenko.
• The anti-corruption bodies stated that a leader of the parliamentary faction had been exposed for allegedly offering unlawful benefits to several MPs from other factions in exchange for voting for or against specific draft laws.
• The case has been classified under Article 369.4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (offering, promising or giving an unlawful benefit).
• On the morning of 14 January, sources in political circles told Ukrainska Pravda that anti-corruption agencies had served Tymoshenko with a notice of suspicion.
• Later, Tymoshenko confirmed that searches had been carried out at her party's office but said she rejected all accusations. She later stated that the searches at her office had begun at 21:30 on 13 January, when she was alone on the premises. She claimed that anti-corruption officers had arrived in five minibuses, acted without a court warrant and had not allowed her to call a lawyer. They also searched the locked office of Serhii Vlasenko, an MP from her political party.
• NABU and SAPO officially announced that Yuliia Tymoshenko had been served with a notice of suspicion over allegations of offering unlawful benefits to MPs on a regular basis.
• In the recordings released by NABU, Tymoshenko is heard discussing with an unidentified MP a payment system for specific votes in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).

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