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A court in Kyiv ruled on Thursday that a powerful former aide of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky be detained ahead of a high-profile trial on corruption allegations in a probe that has roiled the country.
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Former chief of staff Andriy Yermak has been placed in custody for two months with bail set for €2.7 million. Yermak said he will stay behind bars as he cannot pay the sum.
“I don’t have that kind of money for bail. Right now, my lawyer will be working with friends and acquaintances. I deny any accusations. I have nothing to hide, and I will file an appeal,” Yermak told journalists.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) are investigating a scheme where up to €9 million was laundered between 2021-2025 through the construction of a high-end residence complex in the village of Kozyn, a wealthy suburb south of the capital.
One of the four houses financed through the corruption scheme was allegedly meant for Yermak. He was named as suspect on 11 May. If convicted, he could face up to 12 years in jail.
Yermak and his lawyer Ihor Fomin denied any wrongdoing, calling the charges “unfounded.”
They said anti-corruption agencies had been subjected to “public pressure” to bring charges against Yermak.
Zelenskyy remains silent on the case and the allegations against Yermak, who used to be the president’s most trusted ally and Ukraine’s “number two”.
NABU and SAP said Zelenskyy “has not been and is not currently involved in the investigation,” which also concerns Oleksiy Chernyshov, an former deputy prime minister and Timur Mindich, Zelenskyy’s former business partner.
Yermak had previously served as Ukraine’s lead negotiator in talks with the United States and stepped down last autumn amid mounting pressure linked to another the anti-corruption investigation, casting a shadow over Zelenskyy’s administration.
