KIEV, November 21 - RAPSI. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has not been held liable in the Pavel Lazarenko case as the US court has not found the evidence of her guilt sufficient, said Martha Boersch, former Assistant United States Attorney, who investigated and prosecuted Lazarenko.

The United States Attorney's Office charged former Ukrainian Prime Minister Lazarenko with extortion, fraud and laundering of $280 million in early 2000's. Lazarenko was sentenced to nine years in prison and $10 million fine in August 2006.

Lazarenko has also been accused of ordering contract murders in Ukraine. Ukraine repeatedly requested his extradition, but the United States refused referring to the absence of an extradition agreement between the countries. Ukrainian law enforcement authorities allege that Tymoshenko, then the head of United Energy Systems of Ukraine, was involved in Lazarenko's affairs.

"We had the evidence which we have presented to the court, but the court rejected it, as not sufficient," Boersch said on a Ukrainian television channel broadcast.

She also observed that such rejection cannot be regarded as Tymoshenko's acquittal.

A Kiev district court sentenced Tymoshenko on October 11 to seven years in prison for abuse of power in signing gas contracts between Ukraine's Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom in 2009. The sentence has been appealed.