KIEV, March 17 – Ukraine’s security service SBU has handed evidence it collected in a probe into a controversial Gazprom-Naftogaz natural gas contract to the Prosecutor General’s Office for further investigation, Prime Minster Yulia Tymoshenko said Tuesday.

The move essentially means SBU has suspended its own probe, which had earlier this month triggered harsh remarks and even threats of gas supply cuts from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.