Ukraine's state prosecutor has formally opened a criminal case against the former president Leonid Kuchma on suspicion of involvement in organising the murder of opposition journalist Georgiy Gongadze

Ukraine's state prosecutor has formally opened a criminal case against the former president Leonid Kuchma on suspicion of involvement in organising the murder of opposition journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000.

"A criminal case has been opened in relation to Kuchma. He is suspected of involvement in illegal actions and the murder of ... Gongadze", the first deputy prosecutor general, Renat Kuzmin, told a news conference. He said restrictions had been imposed on Kuchma's movements.

Gongadze, whose online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda was sharply critical of Kuchma's term in office, disappeared in September 2000 in the capital, Kiev. His headless body was found six weeks later later in woodland outside the city.

The scandal deepened when a leading opposition politician made public audiotapes on which a voice, resembling that of Kuchma's, was heard ordering officials to "deal with" Gongadze.

Kuchma, 72, who was president for two terms from 1994 to 2005, has always denied any involvement in Gongadze's murder.

"Kuchma is suspected of abuse of power, of giving illegal instructions to the interior ministry's leadership which consequently led to the murder of the journalist," Kuzmin said. "The audio tapes ... are recognised as material evidence in the case," he added.