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The main investigation department of the Prosecutor-General's Office (PGO) has charged Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister of Ukraine and the leader of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Association party, of misappropriating proceeds from sale of greenhouse gas emission quotas under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

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Tymoshenko announced this to journalists after an investigator interrogated her in connection with the relevant criminal case.

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"I have received a resolution on filing charges against me," Tymoshenko said.

According to Tymoshenko, this resolution alleges that she acted in her own personal interest by deciding unilaterally to use part of the money that was received from the sale of greenhouse-gas emission quotas to cover the state budget's expenditures on payment of pensions despite the fact that the proceeds were intended for specific purposes.

According to Tymoshenko, the authorities are attempting to punish their main political opponent with the help of this criminal case.

Tymoshenko reiterated that she did not violate any law when she held the post of prime minister.

According to her, the investigator did not inform her when she will next be summoned to the PGO.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the PGO announced on December 15 that it had filed a criminal case against Tymoshenko on suspicion of misappropriating proceeds generated from sale of greenhouse-gas emission quotas.

The Trout Cacheris law firm (Washington, United States) has said that its audit of the operations of the Cabinet of Ministers from 2008 to the first quarter of 2010 uncovered that the Cabinet of Ministers misappropriated EUR 200 million from the revenues it generated in 2009 from sale of greenhouse-gas emission quotas under the Kyoto Protocol.

The PGO said it has established the Tymoshenko-led Cabinet of Ministers misappropriated funds generated from sale of greenhouse-gas emission quotas.