Ex-head of Presidential Office Yermak placed under preventive measure: Court announces decision
Photo: Andriy Yermak, former head of the Presidential Office (Getty Images)
A court has ordered former head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Andriy Yermak to remain in custody for 60 days, with the option of release on bail set at 140 million hryvnias, according to a livestream of the court hearing.
Prosecutors had requested pretrial detention with bail set at 180 million hryvnias.
Procedural obligations
If the bail is paid, Yermak will be released from detention but placed under several restrictions.
They include:
- Reporting to investigators, prosecutors, or the court upon request
- Informing authorities of any change in residence or employment
- Remaining in Kyiv unless granted special permission to leave
- Surrendering all foreign and diplomatic passports and any documents allowing travel abroad
- Wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet
- Avoiding communication with other suspects and witnesses in the case, including Oleksii Chernyshov, Timur Mindich, and Veronika Anikiievych
If Yermak violates any of the conditions after posting bail, the 140 million hryvnias will be transferred to the state budget, and he will be returned to custody.
What Yermak says
The court ruling takes effect immediately. The defense has three days to file an appeal with the Appeals Chamber of Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court.
Yermak said in court that he plans to challenge the ruling.
Commenting on the 140 million hryvnia bail, the former official said he “doesn’t have that kind of money,” but added that he has “many friends” and will try to raise the amount “if possible.”
Yermak formally charged
On May 11, detectives from Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted investigative actions involving Yermak. Videos from the scene first appeared online before RBC-Ukraine sources confirmed the reports.
Later, NABU announced that the former Presidential Office chief had been formally charged. According to investigators, he was involved in a money laundering scheme linked to the construction of luxury private homes.
The case concerns the construction of the elite “Dynasty” cottage complex in Kozyn near Kyiv. Investigators allege that businessman Timur Mindich and former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov were also part of the group.
According to NABU and SAPO, the suspects used corrupt assets to finance the construction of four private residences.
Investigators say the group used aliases for secrecy — Yermak allegedly operated under the code name R2 — while funding was funneled through a shell housing cooperative and direct cash payments to contractors.
The total amount of allegedly laundered funds tied to the Dynasty project exceeds 460 million hryvnias.
Following media coverage of the case, the owners allegedly attempted to hide the assets, but Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court froze all land plots and unfinished construction sites in Kozyn.
