KIEV, March 29 - RAPSI. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's supporters claim that the authorities are speeding up the consideration and passing of sentence against her in the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) case to keep her in prison for as long as possible.

The authorities deny any hidden political motives in the criminal cases against Tymoshenko.

Deputy Prosecutor General Yevgeny Blazhivsky said earlier that as part of the investigation into the case on Tymoshenko's supposedly financial machinations as the head of the company, the prosecution submitted a 19.5 million hryvna ($2.429mln) lawsuit against her.

The criminal case will be submitted to the court within five days.

Tymoshenko's defense considers the submission of the case illegal and the violation of her rights.

Tymoshenko was sentenced in October 2011 to seven years in prison for abuse of power in signing gas contracts between Ukraine's Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom in 2009.

In late December, she was taken to the Kharkiv penal colony.

Soon after her sentencing, the tax police resumed the investigation into four criminal cases against Tymoshenko in connection with her activities as UESU head in the 1990s.

In the case, Tymoshenko has been charged with attempted public funds embezzlement, non-disclosure of foreign currency proceeds amounting to over $165 million, and tax evasion in the amount of over $5.8 million.