Ukraine's Higher Anti-Corruption Court placed Andrii Yermak, the former presidential chief of staff, under 60-day custody on 14 May. Yermak, Ukraine's ex-presidential chief of staff, rejected all charges after court custody, stating he doesn't have the millions in bail set against him, but hopes friends will help raise it, Liga reported.
"I don't have such money": Yermak turns to friends for bail
Reporters asked Yermak outside the courtroom whether he could afford the bail.
"I don't have such money (about $3.2 million, - Ed.). I wasn't preparing for this. There are enough acquaintances, friends. I hope they can help me with this," he said.
Yermak declined to name any specific individuals who might help. Asked whether he was morally prepared for jail, he pointed to staying in Kyiv when Russia's full-scale invasion began.
"I am a sufficiently strong person," he told Ukrainska Pravda.
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"Absolutely empty": Yermak rejects every charge
After the ruling, Yermak rejected all charges in a statement to reporters, Censor reported.
"I remain at my position. I deny any charges against me," he said.
Yermak called the case "absolutely empty" and said it had been built under months of public pressure on law enforcement. He vowed to remain in Ukraine and continue fighting. His defense will appeal the custody ruling.
Court conditions and 60-day clock
The Higher Anti-Corruption Court set bail at UAH 140 million, about $3.2 million. Prosecutors had requested UAH 180 million ($4 million). The court announced the ruling on the morning of 14 May.
If Yermak posts bail, he must report to investigators and notify them of changes of residence or work. He must also surrender his passports, stay within Kyiv, and wear an electronic bracelet. The court banned him from communicating with co-defendants Oleksii Chernyshov, Timur Mindich, and four other suspects.
The full text of the ruling is expected on 18 May. The defense has five days to file an appeal.
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The Dynastia case: $11 million laundering allegations
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) issued the suspicion notice against Yermak on 11 May. Investigators allege over UAH 460 million — about $10.5 million — was laundered through "Dynastia" from 2021 to 2025.
The scheme allegedly financed an elite housing development in Kozyn, near Kyiv. NABU described the project as four 1,000-square-meter mansions, each worth roughly $2 million. It also included a shared estate with a spa, pool, and gym. The Dynastia investigation is part of Operation Midas, which focuses on graft at the state nuclear company Energoatom.
Investigators say Yermak controlled the construction of his own residence. After the media reported on the project, the owners tried to move the land and property out of the arrest's reach. The Higher Anti-Corruption Court then froze the land plots and five unfinished buildings. On 12 May, six more individuals — including Chernyshov and Mindich — received suspicion notices.
Yermak previously said he has no house, only an apartment and a car. His lawyer has called the suspicion baseless.
