President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine said Thursday that he believed that a former friend had been involved in his near-fatal poisoning four years ago.

At a news conference, Yushchenko openly placed his suspicions on the former friend, David Zhvania, a member of a pro-presidential parliamentary faction who is the godfather of one of Yushchenko's children. It was a sharp departure from the past, when he refused to identify who he thought was responsible for the poisoning.

Yushchenko fell gravely ill after attending a dinner with Zhvania and two top security officials. Doctors later diagnosed his illness as severe dioxin poisoning, which disfigured him.