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Ukrainian Raid Targets Zelenskyy Staff 11/28 06:11
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Anti-corruption units have raided the home, and
reportedly also the office, of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief
of staff, Andrii Yermak. The unprecedented searches at the heart of Ukraine's
government come at a time when Kyiv is already under intense US pressure to
sign a peace deal.
Two national agencies fighting entrenched corruption in Ukraine said their
searches targeted Yermak. Oleksii Tkachuk, a spokesperson for Yermak, said the
anti-graft agencies had not served Yermak a notice of suspicion, meaning he was
not a suspect in an investigation. Tkachuk added that Yermak had not been told
what the searches related to.
Yermak, a powerful figure in Ukraine and a key participant in talks with the
United States, confirmed they searched his apartment inside the presidential
compound in downtown Kyiv, where checkpoints limit public access. Media reports
said Yermak's office was also searched, but investigators declined to comment
on that.
It was not clear where Zelenskyy or Yermak were at the time of the morning
raid.
"The investigators are facing no obstacles," Yermak wrote on the messaging
app Telegram. He added that he was cooperating fully with them and his lawyers
were present.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized
Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are Ukrainian anti-corruption watchdogs.
They are currently leading a major investigation into a $100 million energy
sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials which has dominated
domestic headlines in recent weeks.
It was not clear if the searches were connected to the case and a
spokesperson for the NABU, Anton Tatarnikov, declined to comment, citing legal
restrictions on revealing details on an ongoing probe.
A spokesperson for the European commission, Guillaume Mercier, told
Ukrainian local news, Radio Svoboda, on Friday that they were following
developments closely and that the searches showed that Ukraine's
anti-corruption agencies were working. He added that fighting corruption was
central to the country's European Union accession.
Investigators suspect that Tymur Mindich, a one-time business partner of
Zelenskyy, was the plot's mastermind. Mindich has fled the country, with any
criminal proceedings against him likely to be carried out in absentia. Two top
government ministers have resigned in the scandal.
Two of Yermak's former deputies -- Oleh Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma -- left
the government in 2024 after watchdogs investigated them for financial
wrongdoing. A third deputy, Andrii Smyrnov, was investigated for bribes and
other wrongdoing but still works for Yermak.
The scandal has heaped more problems on Zelenskyy as he seeks continued
support from Western countries for Ukraine's war effort and tries to ensure
continued foreign funding. The European Union, which Ukraine wants to join, has
told Zelenskyy he must crack down on graft.
Zelenskyy faced an unprecedented rebellion from his own lawmakers earlier
this month after investigators published details of their energy sector
investigation.
Although Yermak was not accused of any wrongdoing, several senior lawmakers
in Zelenskyy's party said Yermak should take responsibility for the debacle in
order to restore public trust. Some said that if Zelenskyy didn't fire him, the
party could split, threatening the president's parliamentary majority. But
Zelenskyy defied them.
Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to unite and "stop the political games" in light
of the U.S. pressure to reach a settlement with Russia.
Yermak met Zelenskyy over 15 years ago when he was a lawyer venturing into
the TV production business and Zelenskyy was a famous Ukrainian comedian and
actor.
He oversaw foreign affairs as part of Zelenskyy's first presidential team
and was promoted to chief of staff in February 2020.
Yermak has accompanied Zelenskyy on every trip abroad since Russia's
invasion in February 2022, and the president's trust in him has made Yermak's
power appear almost untouchable.
Domestically, officials describe Yermak as Zelenskyy's gatekeeper, and he is
widely believed to have chosen all top government appointees, including prime
ministers and ministers.
Individuals connected to Yermak and the president's office have come under
investigation before.
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