Corruption in Ukraine: Will this scandal reach Zelenskyy?
Key takeaways
- A drawn-out corruption affair in Ukraine is widening, with authorities now taking action against Andriy Yermak, the former head of the presidential office.
- Under Ukrainian law, this step is equivalent to filing charges in court.
- "This is a particularly serious crime, said SAP head Oleksandr Klymenko at a press conference in Kyiv.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
A drawn-out corruption affair in Ukraine is widening, with authorities now taking action against Andriy Yermak, the former head of the presidential office. Will this scandal reach all the way to President Zelenskyy?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dl LCAndrii Yermak (left) and Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintained close relations Image: Violeta Santos Moura/REUTERSAdvertisement On May 11, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) filed a notice of suspicion against Andrii Yermak, the former head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office. Under Ukrainian law, this step is equivalent to filing charges in court. He was accused of "money laundering as part of an organized group," a charge that can lead to a prison sentence of eight to 12 years. According to anti-corruption authorities, the group to which Yermak is alleged to have belonged is estimated to have laundered 460 million hryvnia (€9 million or $10.5 million) in connection with a luxury construction project near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Charges have also been filed against six additional individuals.
"This is a particularly serious crime, said SAP head Oleksandr Klymenko at a press conference in Kyiv. "We are currently gathering evidence." SAP and NABU also filed a motion with Ukraine's anti-corruption court, requesting two months of pretrial detention for Yermak.