Yermak after release on bail says he will remain in Ukraine, help military
Former Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, who was released from pretrial detention on Monday after bail of UAH 140 million was posted, stated his intention to remain in Ukraine and continue helping the military and prisoners of war.
"I have not fled anywhere and do not intend to. I am staying in Ukraine and will continue to do what I have been doing all this time—working for the benefit of my state, helping the military, prisoners, and people who need support," Yermak wrote on Telegram on Monday.
He thanked everyone who contributed to the collection of the required bail amount, both those he knows personally "and those I do not yet know."
"Justice is worth fighting for. As before, I insist on my innocence and deny any accusations against me. I respect the law and will continue to defend my position and my reputation exclusively in a legal manner," Yermak added.
As reported, according to the court ruling on the choice of a preventive measure, following the payment of bail, Yermak is obliged 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 or work; not leaving the limits of Kyiv; surrendering travel documents for going abroad and diplomatic passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and refraining from communication with other suspects, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and businessman Tymur Mindich, a figure in the Midas case.
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 a member of an organized group involved in the legalization of UAH 460 million in an elite construction project near Kyiv. Yermak denied owning any elite real estate.
The SAPO asked the court to set bail for Yermak at UAH 180 million with detention as an alternative, but the High Anti-Corruption Court set the amount at UAH 140 million. On Monday, the court reported that the bail had been paid in full. The publication Ukrainska Pravda, citing its own sources, specified that 200 payments were made to cover the bail, and the total amount collected exceeded UAH 154 million.
