Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities have issued a notice of suspension against a senior member of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s Fatherland party following a search of the party’s offices.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said the action was taken against the head of a parliamentary group suspected of influencing votes from other parliamentary blocs through cash payments.
If found guilty, the lawmaker could face up to 10 years in prison.
Reacting to the raid, Tymoshenko accused investigators of excessive force, claiming that more than 30 armed officers occupied the building without presenting documents and temporarily detained staff.
She described the operation as a publicity stunt and denied all allegations, saying phones, parliamentary documents and personal savings were seized during the search.
Tymoshenko currently leads the Fatherland party’s parliamentary group, which is the third largest in parliament with 25 lawmakers.
She has previously criticised the country’s anti-corruption agencies, describing them as tools of foreign influence.
Tymoshenko served as Ukraine’s prime minister in 2005 and again from 2007 to 2010. Now 65, she has unsuccessfully contested the presidency three times.
Between 2011 and 2014, she was imprisoned after being convicted of abuse of office, a case that drew international criticism and was widely viewed as politically motivated.