Zelenskyy on Tymoshenko case: "I wouldn't compare it to Yanukovych era"

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he sees no parallel between the criminal prosecution of Yuliia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna party, under pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych and the current situation.

Source: Zelenskyy during an online briefing with the media

Details: Journalists asked Zelenskyy if he sees any similarity between the current criminal case against Tymoshenko and her prosecution under Yanukovych, and whether the case is linked to future elections.

Quote: "To be honest, I wouldn't compare this to the Yanukovych era. At the very least, I don't remember there being a Nova Poshta (Nova Post) parcel back then. And seriously, I don't see how this is connected to elections in Ukraine." [During the search at Tymoshenko's office, authorities discovered what is believed to be bribe money in bags from Nova Poshta, the largest private postal operator in Ukraine – ed.]

Details: Zelenskyy said he believes Tymoshenko sought to sway the single-party parliamentary majority, or monomajority as it is called in Ukraine, and this was not her first effort of this kind.

Quote: "Everyone wants to influence the monomajority in some way."

Background:

• On the evening of 13 January, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said they had exposed Tymoshenko for allegedly offering unlawful benefits to several MPs from other factions in exchange for voting for or against specific draft laws.
• Tymoshenko later reported searches at her party's office but rejected all accusations.
• In recordings released by NABU, Tymoshenko is heard discussing with an unidentified MP a payment system for specific votes in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). Footage from the searches also shows a Nova Poshta bag containing four bundles of US dollars.
• On 16 January, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed bail of UAH 33.28 million (US$765,000) on Tymoshenko as a pre-trial restriction. By 20 January morning, over a third of the sum had been paid.

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