On the evening of the 11th local time, the Ukrainian special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office announced that this department and the National anti-corruption Bureau had jointly broken up an organized criminal gang suspected of money laundering, its members include the former head of the president’s office, Ermak. Prosecutors have issued a notice of suspicion against Ermak and are conducting an urgent investigation. Ermak has long served as director of the President’s office and head of the Ukrainian delegation to the talks. He is a close friend and an important aide of Ukrainian President Zelensky. Recently, Ukraine has exposed a number of corruption scandals, which have attracted high attention from the U.S. media. Some analysts believe that these scandals may become a serious political threat Zelensky face, Russia and Ukraine may also have an impact on the trend of the conflict.
The picture shows the president of Ukraine in 2024 with the then chief of the Presidential Office Ermak (right) .
Listed as a criminal suspect
According to a report by the Kiev post of Ukraine, the Ukrainian special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office and the State anti-corruption Bureau announced on the evening of the 11th that the former director of the Ukrainian presidential office, Ermak, has been officially notified, he has been named as a suspect for his alleged involvement in money laundering. The two anti-corruption agencies said they had broken up an organised crime ring, the group is suspected of laundering 460 million hryvnia ($10.46 million) through financial transactions linked to a high-end residential construction project near the capital Kiev. Ermak was accused of violating Article 209, paragraph 3, of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which deals with the laundering of the proceeds of crime in the form of large-scale or organized gangs.
Investigators have pointed out that the investigation is still at an early stage, the Kiev Post said. The case, which is part of a broader probe into alleged corruption in Ukraine’s energy sector worth nearly $100m, came to light late last year. More details will be released as the investigation deepens.
At the end of last year, the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine announced that it had cracked a“Huge criminal group” consisting of current and former officials and businessmen from the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, suspected of money laundering, illegal enrichment, etc. , the amount involved was nearly $100 million. After the case came to light last November, the Justice Minister and Energy Minister were sacked by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) . The country’s anti-corruption agency later raided Ermak’s home, after which he tendered his resignation. However, there were no reports at the time of whether Ermak had resigned because of his involvement in the corruption case.
According to a report by Ukraine’s Interfax news agency on the 11th, regarding his being listed as a criminal suspect, Ermak said on the 11th that he would not comment on the statements of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency for the time being, “I will make a comment when the investigation is over.”. He added: “I don’t have a mansion, just an apartment and the car you see.”
Ukraine’s president Zelensky has yet to make an official statement after Ermak was charged. In an interview with the media, his adviser, Demetro Litvin, said that despite the money-laundering notices, it was“Too early to make any assessment” because the procedural action was still ongoing.
US media pay close attention
For this newly exposed corruption scandal, the United States and other Western media attention. The Wall Street Journal said Tuesday that Zelensky’s former confidante, Ermak, has been named as a suspect in a corruption case in Ukraine, a“Stunning development” in the investigation, it is a blow to Ukraine’s leaders, who are at war.
The New York Times says Zelensky’s former top aide has been formally charged with corruption, a scandal that has raised concerns among Western countries that have donated billions of dollars to Ukraine in the conflict, it also puts Zelensky in the awkward position of having some of his closest allies involved in the scandal. Zelensky has tried to distance himself from the scandals, arguing that anyone involved in government corruption should be punished.
Although Zelensky has tried to play down the incidents, new scandals and more revelations have emerged, according to the Kiev Independent. “This will certainly weaken Zelensky’s position, in the short, medium and long term,” an anonymous MP from Zelensky’s People’s civil service party told the newspaper.
Even as Ermak was being named as a money laundering suspect, zelensky’s former press secretary Yulia Mendel was interviewed on the 11th by Tucker Carlson, a well-known American media personality and former Fox host. She accused Zelensky of using the war to“Profit himself and his cronies” and said he was“Behind many money laundering schemes” that she said were one of the biggest obstacles to the peace process in Ukraine. “There are a lot of people in Ukraine who want peace, but Zelensky will keep changing his position just to prolong the war and get more money,” she said
According to“Ukraine Pravda” reported on the 12th, Mendel’s allegations, Ukraine president’s office categorically denied. According to the report, Mendel chose to make the allegations in an interview with American journalist Carlsen, carlson, on the other hand, is“Known for his systematic anti-ukrainian rhetoric, his defense of Russian aggression and his harsh criticism of military aid to Ukraine”.
Signaling Zelensky?
U. S. “Political News” said Ermak Zelensky is a close friend, but also its most important diplomatic aide. Since the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Ermak regularly visits Washington to communicate with officials. But Ermak was seen in Washington as abrasive and some US officials accused him of failing to accurately communicate the US position to the Ukrainian leadership. In private, Ermak repeatedly accused U. S. officials of being“Agents of Russia,” according to people familiar with the matter.
According to the Kiev Independent, Ermak is alleged to have been behind Zelensky’s attempt last year to disband the anti-corruption agency, a move that caused a backlash in the west.
Pravda said the US had recently stepped up pressure on Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio has publicly said the U.S. will not waste any more time if talks on Ukraine fail to make progress.
“New York Times” 11, said the U. S. administration has taken office since the 99% reduction in financial and military assistance to Ukraine. At the same time, Zelensky is moving away from the US. With the three-way peace talks stalled, Washington now needs diplomatic results and is again putting pressure on Kiev.
The official listing of Ermak as a criminal suspect is a direct signal to Zelensky that the investigation of these money laundering and corruption scandals has threatened Zelensky’s close circle, Ukraine’s“State” network said Tuesday, it shows that the U. S. Government is exerting great pressure on Ukraine, aiming to force Zelensky to make major political or territorial concessions in the trilateral negotiations between the U. S. , Ukraine and Russia. The report quoted former Ukrainian Prime Minister Azarov as saying that Ukraine’s anti-corruption department“Is in accordance with the instructions of the U. S. Government to bring charges against Ermak.”.