- NABU accused an unnamed party leader of “offering illegal benefits” to MPs.
- Tymoshenko called the parade a political attack and rejected the accusations.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Wednesday that “more than 30 heavily armed men” raided the office of her Vlast (Batykivshchyna) party overnight. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on Wednesday accused an unnamed party leader of “offering illegal benefits” to MPs in exchange for loyal votes in parliament. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
The French press agency reports that Tymoshenko is probably the accused leader of the party. NABU released a video of its officers opening envelopes full of US dollars in an office. There was a woman standing next to them, whose face was not visible, but she had blond hair with a typical hairstyle worn by Tymoshenko – a braid wrapped around her head like a crown.
Tymoshenko said on Facebook that investigators searched her party’s office, denouncing the raid as a “PR stunt” and a “political attack.” “More than 30 heavily armed men without presenting documents effectively occupied the building and took the employees hostage,” wrote Tymošenková, whose work phones, documents and personal financial statements were seized, according to her. “I categorically reject all these absurd accusations,” she added.
AFP notes that the raid came as part of a series of corruption allegations that led to the resignation of the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Jermak, in November. The corruption scandals have sparked strong public outrage in the country at a time when Russia continues to crack down on energy infrastructure, causing blackouts and threatening heat supplies during the winter.
