Yermak case exceptional, UAH 180 mln bail proportionate to risks, prosecution says in court
The prosecution considers the case of former Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, who is suspected of money laundering, to be exceptional and is therefore asking the court to set bail as an alternative to arrest at an amount exceeding the maximum defined by the Criminal Procedure Code, namely UAH 180 million.
"Each of the risks is sufficient to apply a preventive measure in the form of detention," the prosecution representative said on Tuesday during a court hearing on choosing a preventive measure for Yermak.
She said the suspect's official income was not commensurate with the funds invested in the construction of a cottage estate and with his personal belongings.
"Tyshchenko [MP Mykola Tyshchenko], who communicates quite closely with Yermak's driver, and whose fairly close relations with Yermak himself are also a generally recognized fact, calls Yermak a multimillionaire. This is indirectly confirmed by the amounts of money contributed to the construction of residence No. 2 in the Dynasty cottage estate," the prosecutor said.
"This case is definitely not standard. There are special circumstances here. This is the exceptional case referred to in the Criminal Procedure Code, when the amount of bail may be higher than the maximum set by the CPC," she added.
Thus, the prosecution believes that "bail in the amount of UAH 180 million will be a reliable amount to prevent the risks, as will the preventive measure in the form of detention."
"I ask that the motion be granted and, if the motion is granted, that Andriy Borysovych Yermak be placed in custody for 60 days with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of UAH 180 million," the prosecutor said.
In addition, the prosecution is asking the court to impose obligations on the suspect: to appear before the investigator, prosecutor and court; to report any change of residence; not to leave Kyiv without permission; to surrender travel documents for safekeeping, and diplomatic passports to the Foreign Ministry; and to refrain from communicating with suspects and witnesses, including Chernyshov and Mindich.
The High Anti-Corruption Court hearing on choosing a preventive measure has been adjourned until 12:00 on Wednesday, May 13, to allow Yermak's defense team to study the case materials.