Ukraine’s anti-corruption court on Thursday ordered the pre-trial detention of Andriy Yermak, a close aide of President Volodymyr Zelensky, on suspicion of money laundering.
The court set bail at 140 million hryvnia ($3 million), allowing Yermak to be released pending a final decision in his case.
“I don’t have that kind of money, and my lawyer will now work with friends and acquaintances (to raise money for bail),” Yermak told reporters after the court’s decision. “My legal team will file an appeal. “We will use every legal avenue to seek justice and truth.”
He has denied the allegations. Zelensky himself is not under suspicion.
Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff Yermak was Ukraine’s lead negotiator in talks with the United States, but he stepped down last November amid a scandal seen as the biggest threat to the government since Russia’s invasion.
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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar