(AP) – Prosecutors accused President Viktor Yushchenko’s close ally Petro Poroshenko, the former head of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council, of abuse of power on Oct. 10.
“Investigators checked facts, questioned witnesses and decided to open a criminal case,” said Yuriy Boyko, a spokesman for the Prosecutor General’s office.
Poroshenko is suspected of hindering the business activity of two companies that constructed a building in downtown Kyiv, Boyko said.
Irina Friz, Poroshenko’s spokeswoman, refused to comment on the charges.
The accusations of corruption against Poroshenko last month culminated in his resignation and the dismissal of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, whom Poroshenko accused of being behind the allegations. The government’s collapse represented the biggest political crisis to face Yushchenko since he won last year’s presidential election. Opinion polls show that it has significantly damaged support for the Orange Revolution leader.
The charges against Poroshenko relate to a skyscraper apartment building still under construction on a hill above the Dnipro River in a historic part of the Ukrainian capital. In 2003, the Kyiv city planning council gave approval for the construction of the 20-story building, which was rumored to be the most expensive housing in Ukraine. The next year, the investor decided to increase the number of floors to 25. Even though the investor never received approval, 22 floors were built.
After coming into office at the beginning of this year, Poroshenko allegedly demanded a controlling packet of shares from the construction companies, according to the Interfax news agency. Poroshenko denied all the allegations, claiming that he was offered a bribe but refused it.
The construction of the elite building has triggered anger among Ukrainians and senior officials, who protested that it could damage the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Monastery of the Caves located on the same hill.
