Lutsenko rules out opening criminal cases involving Tymoshenko's gas contract with Russia

Head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Yuriy Lutsenko has said there is no criminal case against Verkhovna Rada Batkivschyna faction head and former prime minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko for her role in signing natural gas supply contracts with Russia in 2009. Lutsenko said even opening such a case would be impossible.

"I understand how Tymoshenko reacted to criticism [of the deal] and said the Lutsenko-Poroshenko clan is mounting a political repression campaign against her. As a member of the clan, as someone who is personally involving in repressing Tymoshenko, let me inform you that trying someone twice for the same crime is impossible in Ukraine," Lutsenko said during a briefing in Zhytomyr on Friday.

Lutsenko said it would be impossible to open a criminal case against Tymoshenko for signing the gas contract.