Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has allowed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, the country’s former prime minister, to visit Brussels, the prosecutors said in a statement on Wednesday.
Tymoshenko is not allowed to leave the country as a condition of her bail while she is under investigation on charges of illegally diverting $425 million meant for environmental projects into pension funds and of abuse of office in the purchase of 1,000 “overpriced” Opel Combo minivans for country’s Health Ministry.
“Today, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko petitioned the Prosecutor General’s Office…to give her permission to visit the European People’s Party’s summit in Brussels on March 23-25 and the international forum ‘The Best Experience of Strengthening Democracy’ in Lithuania on June 30. The investigation has given the permission for the trip to Brussels,” the statement said.
Tymoshenko’s request to go to Lithuania will be considered later, the prosecutors said.
The opposition leader has repeatedly said the criminal charges against her and members of her former government are politically motivated because she has stood up to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
KIEV, March 16 (RIA Novosti)