Ukrainian anti corruption authorities have accused former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko of organising a scheme to bribe members of parliament in an effort to weaken President Volodymyr Zelensky's majority, according to investigators and Ukrainian media reports.
The allegations emerged after officers from the National Anti Corruption Bureau and the specialised anti corruption prosecutor searched offices linked to Tymoshenko's Fatherland party late on Tuesday. Prosecutors say the case involves payments allegedly offered to MPs in exchange for coordinated voting in parliament.
Tymoshenko has denied all accusations, saying the claims are false and politically motivated. In a statement, she said audio recordings cited by investigators had nothing to do with her and that she would challenge the allegations in court.
The case comes amid a wave of high profile corruption investigations in Ukraine, including inquiries involving figures close to the president, as speculation grows about possible elections if a ceasefire with Russia is reached.
Tymoshenko, a key figure in Ukraine's post Soviet politics and a former leader of the Orange Revolution, said the raids were an attempt to sideline political opponents, adding that investigators seized work phones and documents but found no evidence of wrongdoing.