Ukrainian minister apparently killed himself

Ukrainian Transport Minister Heorhiy Kirpa, a supporter of the trailing candidate in Sunday’s presidential election, apparently killed himself, an official said today.

“Although the investigation is still ongoing, our findings are indicating a suicide,” a law enforcement official said. He did not elaborate.

Kirpa’s body was found in his country house just outside the Ukrainian capital on Monday.

“The man has passed away. An investigation will clear up the circumstances,” said railways spokesman Eduard Zanyuk.

The Unian news agency reported that a gun was found near his body.

The prosecutor general’s office said it was investigating whether possible foul play was involved, the Interfax news agency reported.

Ukrainian media reported that Deputy Interior Minister Mykhailo Manin was overseeing the police investigation.

Kirpa’s death came a day after the presidential election rerun in which opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko held an insurmountable lead over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

The Supreme Court ordered Sunday’s vote after cancelling the result of November’s runoff because of massive fraud. Yanukovych had won that vote.

Opposition politicians claimed that Kirpa helped engineer the fraud by allocating trains to ferry Yanukovych supporters to vote at multiple polling sites in the November 21 presidential runoff vote.

Kirpa, 58, was a top-ranking official in the Social Democratic Party United, led by Viktor Medvedchuk, the former chief of staff of outgoing President Leonid Kuchma. Kirpa was appointed by Kuchma in 2002.