Ukrainian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the alleged misuse by the former government of Yulia Tymoshenko of state funds received from the trade of carbon emission quotas.
A statement posted on the Ukrainian prosecutor's office's website on Wednesday said the former Cabinet and the Finance Ministry had misused at least 2.3 billion hryvnias (about $290 million) received in 2009 for selling carbon emission rights under the Kyoto agreement.
"As a result of a preliminary probe, on April 28, 2010, a criminal case was launched into the violation of budget legislation and abuse of power that had serious consequences for [Ukraine's] national interests," the statement said.
Although no official names have been mentioned in the statement, the Ukrainian opposition fears it could be the beginning of a witch hunt against its leaders, especially the former prime minister Tymoshenko, who was narrowly beaten to the presidency by Viktor Yanukovych in February's runoff vote.
The new government has said state funds were diverted to finance Tymoshenko's election campaign.
"All these accusations are a smoke screen aimed at using meaningless numbers to unleash repressions against political opponents," said Oleksandr Turchinov, a leader of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.
The Kyoto Protocol is an international environmental treaty aimed at fighting global climate change. It allows for several "flexible mechanisms", such as emissions trading, to meet their carbon emission limitations by purchasing emission reductions quotas from elsewhere.
In 2009, Ukraine sold its unused carbon quotas to Japan for $375 million.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov this week accused Tymoshenko, who led the Cabinet from 2007 until 2010, of costing the state 100 billion hryvnas ($12.5 billion).
"The actions of the previous government inflicted damage of 100 billion hryvnas on the state," Azarov said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, adding that 2009 budget documents should be examined by law enforcement agencies and that Tymoshenko and former government officials should be held responsible.
KIEV, April 29 (RIA Novosti)
