SBI suspects ex-MP Chornovol of premeditated murder

Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has served former MP Tetiana Chornovol with a notice of suspicion in premeditated murder as a result of the arson of the Party of Regions office in 2014, the SBI's press service has reported.

"SBI investigators have presented a suspicion notice to a people's deputy of Ukraine of the eighth convocation. She is suspected of intentionally and unlawfully causing the death of another person, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy in a manner that is dangerous for the lives of many people," the report reads.

According to the SBI, on February 18, 2014, Chornovol directed the actions of a group of individuals and directly participated in the arson of a building on Lypska Street in the center of Kyiv, where the office of a political party was located.

"An employee, born in 1948, who was on the premises of the party office, was killed in the fire," the bureau said.

According to the report, on April 10, the SBI searched the house of the former deputy and seized things "that have evidentiary value for the investigation, objects with signs of a cold weapon, firearms, and ammunition."

If the guilt is proved, the suspect may face imprisonment for a term of 10 to 15 years or life imprisonment.

Chornovol wrote on social media early on April 10 that her house was being searched.

Chornovol is an MP of the eighth convocation, Ukrainian journalist and public figure, former correspondent of online newspapers Levy Bereg, Ukrayinska Pravda, Obozrevatel.

op