Yermak leaves detention center after bail posted

Former head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has been released from the detention center after bail was posted, Suspilne reports.

"Yermak has left the detention center," Suspilne said on its Telegram channel on Monday.

According to Suspilne, after leaving the detention center Yermak said he does not know who exactly posted bail for him, but said he knows it was done by "many people."

"The former head of the Presidential Office also confirmed that he was held in a paid cell at the detention center, for which his lawyer paid," the statement noted.

Earlier on Monday, the High Anti-Corruption Court told Interfax-Ukraine that bail for Yermak in the court-set amount of UAH 140 million had already been posted in full.

MP Yaroslav Zhelezhniak posted a video on his Telegram channel showing Yermak leaving the detention center building with security and departing in a Mercedes. The deputy noted that the former Presidential Office head was "apparently accompanied by new bodyguards."

"Interesting — is it the State Guard or again the SBU’s Alpha? Again new cover plates on his Mercedes," Zhelezhniak added.

Ukrainska Pravda, citing its own sources, reported that 200 payments were made to post bail for Yermak, with the total amount collected exceeding UAH 154 million.

According to the court ruling on the precautionary measure, following the posting of bail Yermak is required to wear an electronic monitoring device. Other obligations include: appearing at every request of the investigator, detective, prosecutor and court; reporting any change of residence and place of work; not leaving the city of Kyiv; surrendering travel documents for safekeeping and diplomatic passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and refraining from communicating with other suspects, including former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and businessman and Midas case figure Tymur Mindich.

On the evening of May 11, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office notified Yermak of suspicion as one of the members of an organized group involved in the laundering of UAH 460 million through elite construction outside Kyiv. Yermak himself denied owning any elite real estate.

The SAPO had asked the court to place Yermak in custody with a bail alternative of UAH 180 million.