Ukrainian authorities have formally notified jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko that she is a suspect in the murder of a businessman and politician in 1996.

The Prosecutor General's Office said on its website Tymoshenko is suspected of "ordering" the contract-style murder of Yvhen Scherban, his wife and two others. The move indicates charges are likely. Tymoshenko denies the accusations and says it is part of a broader campaign by her enemy, President Viktor Yanukovych, to keep her in prison and bar her from politics.