In the bribery scandal

House search at Selenskyj’s office boss

Andriy Yermak (left) is the head of President Zelensky's office.(Bild: AFP/OSCAR DEL POZO)

Ukrainian corruption investigators searched the apartment of Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office in Kiev, early on Friday morning. The background to this is the massive corruption scandal that has shaken war-torn Ukraine right up to the highest circles.

"The investigative measures have been approved and are being carried out as part of the ongoing investigation," the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAPO) announced on Telegram on Friday. "Further details will follow." No charges have yet been brought against Jermak, who denies all allegations.

Jermak confirmed searches at his home. "There are no obstacles for the investigators," the 54-year-old announced on his social media channels. The investigators had full access to his home and his lawyers were working with the investigators on the spot. "From my side - full cooperation," he said.

Pressure on Selensky increases
President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government have been under pressure for weeks due to allegations of bribe payments, particularly in the energy sector. In this context, the energy minister and the justice minister, who had previously headed the energy department himself, were recently dismissed.

Next confidant in his sights
Another confidant of Zelenskyi, head of office Jermak, is now the focus of investigations by SAPO and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). His companion Timur Mindich has already had his house searched. Jermak is not only regarded as Zelensky's right-hand man, he is also one of the most influential men in the country and is repeatedly referred to as an eminence grise who pulls the strings in the background. He is also the central figure in the ongoing negotiations with the USA over an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Yermak is leading the Ukrainian negotiating team at the peace talks. His appointment as head of the delegation last week caused astonishment among political observers in Kiev because, like Zelenskyi, he was in need of an explanation in the wake of the corruption scandal. The investigations have come at the worst possible time for Zelensky: in addition to the international pressure that Trump is exerting on him with his peace plan for Ukraine, there is also the domestic corruption scandal.

Ex-defense minister as a witness
Former Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov has also recently been summoned by corruption investigators in the corruption scandal. The secretary of the National Security Council is considered a witness, the online portal "Ukrajinska Prawda" reported, citing the press service of the authority. The 43-year-old is also one of Kiev's main negotiators in the talks with war opponents Russia and the USA.

Just over two weeks ago, Ukrainian corruption investigators made public findings about bribes worth millions in the energy sector. Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and her predecessor, Herman Halushchenko, who is now Minister of Justice, were dismissed as a result. Several arrests were made.