Ukraine anti-graft officers search home of Zelensky’s chief of staff
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak after their meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on Nov 18.
PHOTO: AFP
KYIV - The anti-corruption authorities in Ukraine said they conducted searches linked to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and top peace negotiator Andriy Yermak on Nov 28.
Mr Yermak said on Telegram that searches were taking place in his home and he was cooperating fully.
In a joint statement, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said the searches were “authorised” and linked to an unspecified investigation.
“NABU and SAPO are conducting investigative actions (searches) at the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine,” they said. “Investigative actions are authorised and are being carried out within the framework of an investigation.”
Earlier in November, the two agencies unveiled a sweeping investigation into an alleged US$100 million (S$129.8 million) kickback scheme at the state atomic energy company that has ensnared former senior officials and Mr Zelensky’s ex-business partner.
Mr Yermak has not been named a suspect in the investigation, but opposition lawmakers and some members of Mr Zelensky’s own party had called for his dismissal as part of Ukraine’s worst wartime political crisis.
The searches, which are likely to inflame tensions between Mr Zelensky and his political opponents, come as Kyiv faces pressure to accept a US-backed peace deal in its war with Russia. REUTERS
