Court hearing on preventive measure for Yermak postponed as defense requests time to review case materials

The hearing on the selection of a preventive measure for former Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak has been postponed after the defense said it had not had sufficient time to review the case materials.

According to Ukrinform, Yermak’s lawyer, Ihor Fomin, requested a delay during the hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine, which had begun considering the motion for a preventive measure.

He stated that the defense had not had enough time to examine the case file, which consists of 16 volumes, each averaging around 250 pages.

The investigating judge, Viktor Nohachevskyi, agreed to grant additional time for review, and the court session is expected to continue the following day.

As reported by Ukrinform, on May 1, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) notified former senior official Andriy Yermak of suspicion in the case involving the alleged laundering of UAH 460 million through the construction of luxury cottages near Kyiv.

On May 12, anti-corruption authorities also announced suspicions against six additional members of the alleged organized group, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov and businessman Tymur Mindich.

Read also: SAPO seeking pre-trial detention for Yermak with UAH180M bail

According to investigators, between 2021 and 2025 the suspects allegedly laundered more than UAH 460 million through the construction of a cottage complex in Kozyn, Kyiv region. The project reportedly involved four private residences with auxiliary buildings and facilities, as well as a shared spa residence, built on land plots totaling about eight hectares.

Part of the funds used for construction allegedly passed through a so-called “laundromat” controlled by a businessman who was expected to become the owner of one of the residences. The amount involved is estimated at nearly $9 million.

Law enforcement authorities claim the construction was financed in part with money obtained through alleged corruption schemes involving Energoatom, uncovered during the investigation known as “Operation Midas.”

Among those linked to the Midas case are Chernyshov and Mindich. According to investigators, Mindich left for Israel shortly before being formally notified of suspicion. NABU later submitted documents seeking to place him on an Interpol wanted list.

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a preventive measure on Chernyshov in the form of detention with the alternative of bail set at UAH 120 million, which was paid in full.