Head of Zelenskyy's Office timed announcement of fraudster's arrest just as he learned Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies plan to move against him

Mykhailo Tkach, Iryna Balachuk - 13 November, 07:36

Andrii Yermak. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

It appears that Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, attempted to bury reports covering the uploading of court rulings on investigative measures in Operation Midas to the court register and the news that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) are preparing to take measures in relation to Yermak himself. To this end, Yermak timed the release of a report that police had detained a fraudster who allegedly pretended to be a relative of his so that he could exact bribes in exchange for jobs in Zelenskyy's Office to coincide with the other reports featuring his name on the same day.

Source: an investigative article by Mykhailo Tkach for Ukrainska Pravda (English translation coming soon)

Quote: "Also on Friday [7 November], court rulings related to investigative actions in Operation Midas began to be uploaded to the court register. In theory, the individuals involved could have obtained access to this information through law enforcement officers loyal to them.

Coincidentally, that very same Friday Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, suddenly posted a video address in which he announced that the National Police had detained a dodgy businessman who had been exacting unlawful gains in exchange for arranging jobs in the President's Office by claiming to be a relative of his."

Details: Sources in political circles told Ukrainska Pravda that the video address came at nearly the same time as the President's Office was notified that NABU and SAPO were planning special measures, including against Yermak.

On 7 November, Yermak reported the exposure of a group of fraudsters, one of whom had pretended to be Yermak's cousin. He said he was confident that the criminals would receive just punishment.

Kyiv police later provided details of the fraudulent scheme involving a man with the same surname as the head of the President's Office who had passed himself off as Yermak's cousin and offered senior positions in the President's Office in exchange for money.

Background:

Ukrainska Pravda sources reported that on the morning of 10 November, NABU detectives conducted searches at the home of Tymur Mindich, a businessman and co-owner of Kvartal 95, the Ukrainian TV production company Volodymyr Zelenskyy founded before he became president.
According to the same sources, Mindich left Ukraine hours before the search began.
NABU confirmed that, together with SAPO, it is conducting a large-scale operation to expose corruption in the energy sector.
The investigators have uncovered an extensive corruption network influencing strategic state companies, including the state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom.
NABU and SAPO have started releasing the audio recordings from Operation Midas, their investigation into the large-scale corruption scheme in the energy sector.
On 12 November, the Cabinet of Ministers led by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko decided to submit a proposal to the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) to impose sanctions against Mindich and Tsukerman.

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