Former Zelenskyy Chief of Staff in Court on Money Laundering Charges

Andriy Yermak, former chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appeared in court after prosecutors requested his detention on charges related to a multi-million-dollar money laundering scheme.

Prosecutors allege that Yermak, 54, transferred about 460 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($10.5 million) into the development of the Dynasty luxury villa complex in Kozyn, near the capital Kyiv. Investigators suspect the funds used in the project may have originated from corruption linked to Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear power company.

The prosecution asked the court to impose pretrial detention with bail set at 180 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($4 million). Yermak denies the charges. The hearing is expected to resume on Wednesday.

“The notice of suspicion is baseless,” Yermak wrote on Telegram after Tuesday's proceedings. “As a lawyer with over 30 years of experience, I have always followed the law. And now, I will defend my rights and reputation in the same way.” Earlier, during a break, he told reporters: “I own only one apartment and one car.”

The case is part of a wider anti-corruption drive, code-named “Midas,” led by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The campaign was announced in November last year when Timur Mindich, a former business associate of Zelenskyy, was accused of orchestrating a $100 million bribery scheme at Energoatom. Mindich, who denies the allegations, has fled to Israel.

Prosecutors said Mindich and several other senior officials, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, are “involved” in the Dynasty project. They also said Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and lead negotiator in U.S.-led peace efforts with Russia, has been questioned and is a witness in the case.

Yermak, a former film producer, helped transform Zelenskyy from a fictional TV president into a wartime national leader. He resigned as chief of staff in November after investigators searched his home in connection with the Energoatom probe. NABU chief Semen Kryvonos confirmed Tuesday that President Zelenskyy is not a target of any investigation. The sitting president cannot be investigated under law.

Zelenskyy has not publicly commented on the charges against his former aide. An information adviser said Monday it was too early to discuss the matter. The allegations come as Ukraine remains dependent on crucial Western financial aid tied to anti-corruption reforms. U.S.-backed peace efforts remain stalled in the fifth year of Russia's invasion.

Last year, the Ukrainian government attempted to strip NABU and SAPO of their independence—agencies created after the 2014 pro-democracy uprising. The move triggered rare wartime protests against the government and forced Zelenskyy to reverse course after criticism from the European Union, Kyiv's key financial and military backer.

Some lawmakers, including members of Zelenskyy's ruling Servant of the People party, see a silver lining in the case against Yermak, viewing it as an encouraging sign of Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts. “Partners see that Ukraine has an independent anti-corruption system that is doing its job,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the parliament's foreign affairs committee.

Public approval ratings for Zelenskyy have remained relatively stable in recent months, despite the focus on corruption. About 58% of Ukrainians trust the president, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology on May 4. However, a May 6 poll found that 54% of respondents considered corruption a greater threat to Ukraine's development than Russia's war, when forced to choose between the two issues.