Those suspected of involvement in the legalization of UAH 460 million (approx. PLN 37.6 million) in the construction of a luxury housing estate near Kiev include: former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov – media reported appointing the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP).
Businessman Tymur Mindich, revealed as part of the special operation “Midas”, as well as four people subordinated to Chernyshov are also involved in the case, the Interfax-Ukraine agency explained on Tuesday.
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Dirty money for the construction of a luxury estate
“As established during the investigation, in 2020 the Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine [stanowisko to zajmował wówczas Czernyszow] decided to build a private estate of single-family houses with its own spa complex in the village of Kozyn in the Kiev Oblast,” reads a SAP statement.
Chernyshov's neighbors in this estate were said to be the then head of the presidential office, Yermak, and an “influential businessman”, i.e. Mindicz.
The construction was carried out through a housing and construction cooperative controlled by the former deputy prime minister and financed, among others, from cash obtained from money laundering, derived from corruption.
A day earlier, SAP reported that Yermak was suspected of participating in an organized criminal group related to the legalization of UAH 460 million.
The media reported then that investigative activities had been carried out with Yermak, until recently President Volodymyr Zelensky's closest associate. The National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) was involved.
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In November last year, Yermak resigned in connection with the investigation into corruption codenamed “Midas”. NABU and SAP then conducted a search in his apartment.
“I don't have any house. I only have one apartment”
Information about the participants was previously disclosed extensive corruption system in the energy industry. They collected from contractors of Enerhoatom, the state operator of nuclear power plants, bribes ranging from 10 to 15 percent. contract values. Illegal means were to be legalized by the so-called back office in the center of Kiev, through which – as it was determined – approximately $100 million.
Yermak denied on Monday that he owned luxury real estate, Radio Svoboda reported on Monday.
“I will not comment on anything now. When the investigative activities are completed, I will comment. I don't have any house. I only have one apartment,” he told reporters.
On Tuesday, anti-corruption authorities said that President Zelensky is not under investigation for corruption.
