Record 140 Million Hryvnia Bail Secures Release of Ex-Presidential Office Head Yermak from Pretrial Detention

Arrest and Release of Andriy Yermak

According to Главком: Andriy Yermak, the former head of the President's Office, has been released from pretrial detention after a record-setting bail of 140 million hryvnia was posted. The funds were provided by a group of seven individuals and seven legal entities. Yermak is under suspicion for laundering 460 million hryvnia in connection with the construction of a cottage village in the village of Kozyn, Kyiv region. According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), these funds may be tied to corruption schemes involving the state nuclear energy company Energoatom. This case has drawn significant attention as one of the largest bail amounts in Ukraine's recent history.

The bail for Yermak totaled 140 million hryvnia, with individuals contributing nearly 50.5 million hryvnia and legal entities providing almost 100 million hryvnia. Among the individuals who posted bail were:

• Serhiy Svyryba (attorney, former partner at Asters) with a contribution of 6.5 million hryvnia
• Roza Tapanova (former business partner, head of the Babyn Yar memorial) with a contribution of 8 million hryvnia
• Serhiy Rebrov (former head coach of the Ukrainian national football team) with a contribution of 30 million hryvnia
• Volodymyr Petrov (political strategist, blogger) with a contribution of 80,000 hryvnia
• Ihor Fomin (Yermak's attorney) with a contribution of 5 million hryvnia
• Alina Voloshyna with a contribution of 368,000 hryvnia
• Oleksandr Krykunov with a contribution of 500,000 hryvnia

The legal entities that posted bail include:

• Miralif LLC - 9.8 million hryvnia
• Research Forensic Expert Institution - 30 million hryvnia
• A.DVA.KA.T Law Firm - 4 million hryvnia
• SU SEM LLC - 32 million hryvnia
• SV-Group Private Enterprise - 10.2 million hryvnia
• De Lege Lata Law Firm - 14 million hryvnia
• Arena Marin LLC - 4 million hryvnia

The Research Forensic Expert Institution was established in Kyiv in 2017, while SU SEM LLC, based in Dnipro, was founded in 2000 and specializes in residential and non-residential construction. In 2017, SU SEM was implicated in a criminal case involving money laundering and tax evasion. The owner of De Lege Lata, Vitaliy Marfin, previously worked in the Main Department of Counterintelligence Protection of the Economy of the SBU in Kyiv. In 2011, he was detained on suspicion of accepting a bribe of $180,000 and was subsequently fined 25,000 hryvnia. Arena Marin LLC is a logistics company from Odesa, founded by 76-year-old Oleksandr Rusnyak. The head of A.DVA.KA.T, Yaroslav Kuts, ran for the Verkhovna Rada as a candidate from the European Solidarity party in 2019-2020.

Approximately 200 payments were made toward Yermak's bail, totaling over 154 million hryvnia. By the evening of May 15, the required amount had been raised, and Andriy Yermak was released from the pretrial detention facility, where he had been held in a paid cell covered by his attorney. As a condition of his release, Yermak must surrender his foreign passports, wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, and is prohibited from communicating with other suspects, including Oleksiy Chernyshov and Tymur Mindich.

Volodymyr Ivankov, head of the Research Forensic Expert Institution, commented on his involvement in posting bail, stating: 'I just felt like doing it... I see this as advertising for my firm.'

For his part, Andriy Yermak stated that he does not know exactly who posted bail on his behalf, but he is aware that many people did so.

The release of Andriy Yermak from pretrial detention after the bail payment has brought renewed attention to corruption allegations in Ukraine, particularly in the construction and energy sectors. This case may serve as a significant test for law enforcement, highlighting the need for transparency and anti-corruption efforts within state institutions. The support from various individuals and companies in the form of bail raises further questions about the ties between business and politics, which could have lasting implications for Ukraine's political landscape.

The circumstances surrounding Yermak's release have raised questions about the involvement of various individuals and entities willing to secure his bail. Notably, a previous report highlighted how three individuals contributed a significant sum of $14.5 million to assist Yermak during earlier legal challenges. For more details on this aspect of the case, refer to the full story regarding the bail contributions.