KIEV, April 11 - The Security Service suspects MP Oleksandr Shepelev (an independent lawmaker elected on the list of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko) of being involved in the embezzlement of over UAH 220 million of the funds of the troubled Rodovid Bank worth, as well as being involved, along with businessman Pavlo Borulko, in the embezzlement of public funds of the refinancing of the National Bank of Ukraine (worth UAH 315.3 million in March-May 2009.

"Enough evidence proving his guilt has been collected," the head of the SBU main investigative department, Ivan Derevyanko, said at a briefing in Kiev on Wednesday.

The SBU added that it was currently considering sending an appeal to the Ukrainian parliament to deprive Shepelev of his deputy immunity, since there is a risk that he might leave Ukraine.