KIEV, Sept. 5 - Oleksandr Zinchenko, who just resigned from the post of the secretary of state, attacked some of the closest allies of President Viktor Yushchenko Monday for allegedly using their powers to obtain personal financial gains.

Zinchenko specifically singled out Petro Poroshenko, the top security advisor to Yushchenko, and also Oleksandr Tretyakov and Mykola Martynenko, two other close allies of the president.

Zinchenko said the mentioned officials have conspired to deliberately misled Yushchenko on major political and economic developments in Ukraine that may eventually plunge the country into turmoil.

"Having created an information blockade of the president. they step by step realize a plan of using their powers for personal capital gains," Zinchenko said reading from a prepared statement.

"Unless these processes are stopped in a tough and a timely manner, a counterrevolution may happen in the country," Zinchenko said.

The corruption allegations emerge as the greatest challenge for Yushchenko over the past seven months of his government and may trigger a serious political crisis that may split the government team ahead of the general election in March 2006.

Zinchenko successfully managed Yushchenko's presidential election campaign last year that had culminated in a popular uprising, known as the Orange Revolution, which had eventually catapulted Yushchenko to power.

Poroshenko, a businessman with assets in shipbuilding, confectionary and auto manufacturing, has steadily and apparently financially supported the Yushchenko campaign. Poroshenko now holds the post of the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Poroshenko, who arrived at the same press conference shortly after newswires flashed the first headlines with Zinchenko's allegations, later took the floor to deny them.

"Friends, today perhaps is one of the most difficult days in [my] life," Poroshenko said. "I am extremely disappointed by such behavior of Zinchenko." He said there was no proof that would support any of the allegations and said he was ready for a televised
debate with Zinchenko.

This is the third time over the past two weeks that Poroshenko has been taking the floor to respond to and dismiss allegations of his alleged corruption practices.

Ihor Kolomoyskiy, a Ukrainian mogul, recently alleged that Poroshenko may have been involved in an attempt to help Viktor Pinchuk, the son-in-law of former President Leonid Kuchma, to sell the disputed Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant.

Kolomoyskiy, who badly needs Nikopol to complement his ferroalloy empire, said he had been asked to pay $350 million for 50%-plus-one-share to Pinchuk, of which $50 million would go apparently as a bribe to an unidentified official who could broker the deal.

Kolomoyskiy said he declined the offer.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been in a state of conflict with Poroshenko since she took office in February, repeatedly suggested that Poroshenko may be involved in attempts to help Pinchuk win the court ruling to keep Nikopol in his hands.

Tymoshenko's government finally prevailed in a court ruling that had eventually stripped Pinchuk of the stake, which is now supposed to be resold at an open auction later this year.

Zinchenko said: "It is Poroshenko who insisted and finally managed to get illegal transfer of courts under control of the National Security and Defense Council, while by default they must be independent." (tl/ez)