Former Ukrainian PM accused of bribing politicians with US dollars to weaken Zelenskyy's government

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has accused former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko of bribing members of parliament and running a vote-buying scheme. The charges, announced on Wednesday via Telegram, stem from an investigation into a "systemic" plot where lawmakers allegedly received payments for votes. NABU claims this was a long-term cooperation mechanism involving advance payments. While Tymoshenko has denied all accusations and pledged to clear her name in court, NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) raided her Batkivshchyna party's offices. This probe expands an ongoing anticorruption campaign in Ukraine that has already implicated senior ministers and opposition lawmakers.

Yulia Tymoshenko, a prominent Ukrainian opposition figure and former prime minister, has reportedly been accused by anti-corruption investigators of organizing a scheme to bribe members of parliament, potentially including those from President Zelenskyy's party. The allegations involve payments to influence votes, including those concerning the dismissal of security and defense officials, and appointments of Tymoshenko's nominees. Raids were conducted at the Fatherland party's offices by the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo) and the National Anti-corruption Bureau (Nabu). Tymoshenko denies the accusations, dismissing released audio recordings as unrelated to her and vowing to prove her innocence in court. The investigation occurs amidst a series of corruption probes involving figures close to Zelenskyy and growing expectations of elections following a potential ceasefire with Russia.