Regions Party MP against letting Tymoshenko go abroad, providing her access to 'fraudulent money'

MP Volodymyr Oliynyk of the Party of Regions has said that former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko should not be allowed abroad now, as she has a large amount of money of dubious provenance on foreign accounts.

"If we release her now under any pretext, it will mean that the state budget will never get this money back. As you know, as of today two criminal cases have been opened in the U.S. and Switzerland regarding the return of the funds by Yulia Tymoshenko," the Party of Regions' press service quoted Oliynyk as saying.

According to him, they found at least half a billion dollars on Tymoshenko's accounts abroad. He said part of it is the money that Tymoshenko shared with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, which were arrested on bank accounts in the United States. The rest is on Yulia Tymoshenko's account in a Swiss bank.

"In addition, Ukraine expects to win by court action the funds from the sale of Pavlo Lazarenko's villa in California, which was purchased using the former prime minister's unlawful income," the MP said.

"Yulia Tymoshenko also has debts to Russia," he said, adding that the ex-premier borrowed $400 million under government guarantees for the United Energy Systems of Ukraine company.

It would be very strange to release Yulia Tymoshenko to provide her access to the funds that she illegally acquired and hid abroad, Oliynyk said.

As reported, the Income and Tax Ministry of Ukraine started legal proceedings in the United States and in Switzerland to protect the interests of Ukraine in the case of the misappropriation of over $200 million by a group of people, allegedly including two former Ukrainian prime ministers, Yulia Tymoshenko and Pavlo Lazarenko.

The ministry instructed the Lawrence Graham LLP law firm (London, Britain) to act as lead counsel in coordinating the country's claims in litigation abroad.