Party leader Tymoshenko says NABU tapes feature conversation with MP Kopytin who sought to compromise her

Yuliia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna party and parliamentary faction, has said that tapes released by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) captured a conversation with Ihor Kopytin, an MP from the Servant of the People party, whom she claims was "carrying out assignments" from the bureau in order to compromise her.

Source: Tymoshenko during a hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court on 16 January

Details: The High Anti-Corruption Court is currently considering the choice of a pre-trial restriction for Tymoshenko in a case concerning an alleged bribe offer.

Quote from Tymoshenko: "Of course, I meet with hundreds of MPs – this is my parliamentary work. And now we have put all the pieces together, and I can say that this meeting was with Mr Kopytin. He is an MP from the Servant of the People. Mr Kopytin is not just an MP – there is a criminal case against him at NABU. And he is under pressure from NABU to essentially carry out certain assignments for the bureau. You know that there are certain arrangements where they say: 'You go and dig something up somewhere, and in return we will drop your charges'."

Details: According to Tymoshenko, Kopytin repeatedly sought meetings with her.

"Mr Kopytin asked to meet me once, twice, three times. He said that he did not want to remain in the Servant of the People faction and no longer wanted to work with the majority or with the president… And he repeatedly proposed cooperation," Tymoshenko said.

She added that both her faction and others are constantly looking for like-minded MPs for specific votes.

"I can say with absolute certainty that Mr Kopytin was interested in having his charges dropped. Based on fragments of the conversation I recall – and it is possible that such a conversation took place, since as a faction leader I always discuss voting and non-voting issues and seek allies in parliament, as other factions do – he likely passed [materials] to NABU or took whatever steps were necessary to have them presented in a way that does not reflect reality, in order to demonstrate some kind of merit to NABU and free himself from criminal liability," Tymoshenko said.

She added that, in her recollection of the conversation, "there is not a single word about any funds – it would make no sense".

"They supposedly agreed on something there [Kopytin and NABU – ed.], that there would be some transfer of funds the next day. But then why would NABU raid the place before any hypothetical money had been transferred? What was the logic of their actions supposed to be?" Tymoshenko said.

She believes that "Kopytin is working for NABU" and that "they knew there was nothing to it, that no transfer would occur, which is why they carried out the raid under cover of night".

"That is why this is definitely a fabricated story – possibly by Kopytin – aimed at having his charges dropped. And this is a deliberate provocation carried out by NABU, a provocation that has nothing to do with real work. And it pains me that these people work on provocations, then compile them and insert elements that were not in the conversation, and then announce all of this to the entire country as a proven crime," Tymoshenko said.

She added that Kopytin is "a person who is interested in giving something to NABU in order to have his charges dropped, by setting up the person NABU wanted to compromise".

"I categorically deny that this recording, as presented, is the one that actually took place during the conversation," Tymoshenko concluded.

Previously: Ahead of the High Anti-Corruption Court hearing, Tymoshenko said that the recordings released by NABU were falsified, as such a conversation "has never taken place in her life".

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).

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!