Ukrainian Speaker is Accused Over Beheading

KIEV, Ukraine -- A Ukrainian commission investigating the kidnapping and beheading of a journalist five years ago has accused the parliament's speaker of being behind the killing.

Accused Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn
The speaker, Volodymyr Lytvyn, had "instigated the abduction" of Heorhiy Gongadze, said the commission, headed by Hrihoriy Omelchenko.

Mr Gongadze, an internet journalist who wrote about high-level corruption, was kidnapped and killed in 2000.

The public outrage helped lead to the "Orange Revolution", which brought the pro-western president Viktor Yushchenko to office.

The commission's findings stemmed from recordings in which voices resembling those of Mr Lytvyn, former president Leonid Kuchma and other officials are heard allegedly conspiring against Mr Gongadze, according to a report about the commission's investigation.

Mr Kuchma has repeatedly questioned the authenticity of the tapes, secretly recorded by his former bodyguard.

In the report, Mr Omelchenko's commission said that the "authenticity of tapes has been verified" and that all findings had been forwarded to prosecutors and the state security service.

In an address to parliament, Mr Omelchenko also demanded Mr Lytvyn's resignation and a no-confidence vote for the Ukrainian prosecutor-general, Svyatoslav Piskun, who, according to the report, failed "to act in accordance with the commission's findings".

Mr Lytvyn dismissed the report as "a provocation aimed at diverting attention from the real culprits" for Mr Gongadze's death.

The reporter's death triggered months of opposition protests against Mr Kuchma's regime, which ultimately led to last year's Orange Revolution.

The opposition accused Mr Kuchma and his allies of masterminding Mr Gongadze's death, something he has repeatedly denied. A month after Mr Yushchenko's inauguration in January, prosecutors indicted three former policemen over Mr Gongadze's death. A fourth suspect is at large and being sought on an international warrant.

Meanwhile, the former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said yesterday she was ready to offer Mr Yushchenko an alliance aimed at creating a new coalition government.

Mr Yushchenko sacked Ms Tymoshenko and her government earlier this month, but on Tuesday parliament refused to support Mr Yushchenko's appointment of Yuriy Yekhanurov as prime minister.

"In my heart, there are no bad emotions about the president," Ms Tymoshenko said.

Mr Yushchenko still hopes to win support for Mr Yekhanurov, but a spokeswoman said: "The president wants to underline that emotions should not be an issue - for the benefit of Ukraine."

Source: Scotsman News