Tymoshenko Under Law Enforcement Scrutiny Since November, SAPO Chief Says

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Oleksandr Klymenko, Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

“In November 2025. At that time, information appeared about attempts in the Verkhovna Rada to buy off MPs so that they would leave the Servant of the People faction or vote contrary to the will of the mono-majority. This information was not only available to us. There were media reports that the Security Service of Ukraine had conducted preventive conversations with MPs who were trying to persuade others to leave the faction or take other actions so that parliament would effectively collapse and fail to perform its key function,” Klymenko said.

He added that within the framework of other proceedings, information had been obtained indicating that attempts were being made to bribe MPs.“We already had records of covert investigative actions confirming that this was indeed happening. Therefore, we appealed to the Prosecutor General, and on November 27 he entered the relevant information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations,” Klymenko noted.

Asked why the case against the Batkivshchyna leader was opened on her birthday, November 27, Klymenko replied:“It was a coincidence. We do not track birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or professional jubilees of our suspects – this has no significance for us.”

He emphasized that there were no problems with Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko entering the information into the Unified Register in Tymoshenko's case, despite the difficult relations between the NABU, SAPO, and the Prosecutor General's Office following the detention of detective Ruslan Mahamedrasulov.

“We hold our positions and must fulfill the duties defined by law. If there is a properly substantiated position regarding the elements of a crime, it must be entered and investigated,” he stressed.

The SAPO head declined to answer a question about the MP who allegedly“wired” Tymoshenko.

“Due to the specifics of our work, I cannot confirm or deny information about whether someone cooperated with us. If we disclose details of our work and interactions with anyone, no one will come to us anymore and we will stop performing our functions. And what would be the point? So that this information occasion feeds the media for two hours and then we lose our reputation? That would be absurd,” Klymenko emphasized.

Read also: Head of SAPO reveals how much MPs received in“envelope payments”

As reported, on January 14, 2026, the SAPO and NABU notified Batkivshchyna faction leader Yuliia Tymoshenko of suspicion for allegedly offering unlawful benefits to MPs. The High Anti-Corruption Court set a preventive measure in the form of bail amounting to UAH 33 million.

During the hearing on the preventive measure at the High Anti-Corruption Court, Tymoshenko stated that she had been“wired” by Servant of the People MP Ihor Kopytin.

On January 16, Kopytin said that he does not take part in political games and does not comment on the actions of law enforcement agencies.

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