Kiev, Safar 23, 1432, Jan 27, 2011, SPA -- A Ukrainian prosecutor on Thursday filed new charges against former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko in a controversial corruption case she has called politically motivated, dpa reported. The new charges are in connection with allegations she improperly purchased 1,000 Opel Kombo vans, her personal website reported. Tymoshenko already faces charges of mishandling some 380 million dollars in government funds in 2009 when she was prime minister. The opposition leader has denied wrongdoing and claimed Ukraine's government is cracking down on its detractors. The new charges against her also allege she ordered the vans to be used to transport campaign workers and advertising materials in support of her failed 2009 presidential bid. The price paid for the vehicles was some 20 per cent higher than prevailing market prices, and the Opels were unsuitable for their purported use as ambulances on Ukrainian roads, said a prosecutor's statement cited by Interfax. If she is found guilty of the charges against her, Tymoshenko faces a prison term of seven to 10 years. Prosecutors in December banned her travel abroad pending resolution of the charges. She is seeking an exception to visit Brussels in February at the invitation of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP). -- SPA 19:19 LOCAL TIME 16:19 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/859848