Ukraine's anti-corruption agency charges former PM Yulia Tymoshenko with bribery
Photo: Yulia Tymoshenko (Getty Images)
Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister and current leader of the Batkivshchyna party, has been formally handed a criminal accusation, according to Olha Postolyuk, spokesperson for the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP).
Raids at Batkivshchyna party office
Earlier, media reports surfaced that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) conducted searches at the Batkivshchyna party office. In the morning, Tymoshenko confirmed the investigative actions but denied all accusations.
According to the lawmaker, the searches lasted all night. However, authorities reportedly found nothing.
Tymoshenko claimed that her work phones, parliamentary documents, and personal savings were seized. She described the raids as a "political order."
What NABU and SAP say
Yesterday, NABU and SAP announced that they had uncovered a leader of one of Ukraine's parliamentary factions offering illicit benefits to several MPs from factions not led by this person, in exchange for votes "for" or "against" specific bills.
Authorities preliminarily qualified the actions under Part 4, Article 369 of Ukraine's Criminal Code "Offering, promising, or giving unlawful benefits to an official."
The law provides for a prison sentence of 5 to 10 years, with or without confiscation of property.
Wiretaps in the Tymoshenko case
NABU has officially released wiretaps related to Tymoshenko's case. According to investigators, after evidence emerged in December 2025 of MPs receiving unlawful benefits, the accused allegedly initiated discussions about a systematic mechanism for payments tied to loyal voting behavior.
This involved regular advance payments, instructions on how to vote, and occasionally, directives to abstain from voting.
"Members of parliament were to receive instructions on how to vote, and in some cases, guidance on abstaining or not participating in the vote," the statement said.
