Ukrainian Prosecutor: No Evidence Against Poroshenko

Petro Poroshenko (file photo) 21 September 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Ukraine's Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun yesterday said investigators have found no evidence that the former secretary of the country's National Security and Defense Council, Petro Poroshenko, was involved in corruption.
Addressing reporters in Kyiv, Piskun also said investigators had found nothing to sustain similar accusations brought against presidential aide Oleksandr Tretyakov and pro-presidential parliamentarian Mikola Martynenko.

Earlier this month, President Vitkor Yushchenko's chief of staff accused Poroshenko and other top government officials of corruption. Those accusations prompted Yushchenko to dismiss Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko's cabinet.

While clearing him of accusations of corruption, Piskun yesterday said Poroschenko's name does appear in five recently opened criminal cases. Piskun said the cases involve allegations that former Security Service members exerted pressure on the judiciary.

Piskun did not say whether Poroshenko would be questioned as a suspect or a witness.

("Ukrayinska pravda"/korrespondent.net)