Corruption scandal in the neighbourhood: Zelenskyy’s Presidential Chief resigns
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, resigned on Friday after his office was raided by the country’s anti-corruption authorities, marking a major shake-up in President Zelenskyy’s inner circle.
Both of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), took part in the investigation, the authorities said on Friday.
Shortly after the search, Zelenskyy announced Jermak’s resignation on his Telegram channel.
“There will be changes in the presidential office. Andriy Jermak, head of the presidential office, has submitted his resignation. (…) I am grateful to Andriy for always representing Ukraine’s position in negotiations exactly as needed. He has always acted patriotically. But I do not want rumors and speculation to arise,” the president said.
Zelenskyy added that consultations would be held on Saturday regarding who might succeed Jermak. The move is intended to maintain Ukraine’s internal strength during key peace negotiations. Investigations are still ongoing, however, and it remains unclear what impact this will have on the functioning of the presidential office.
The embezzlement at Enerhoatom
The scandal centers on a large-scale corruption network connected to the state nuclear energy company, Enerhoatom. Authorities have been investigating under the codename “Midas” for 15 months, compiling more than 1,000 hours of wiretaps and conducting around 70 searches.
The investigation found that companies securing contracts with the firm obtained them illegally and through misconduct, with a significant portion of the funds paid out in cash as hidden commissions. According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), roughly 100 million U.S. dollars were involved.
Jermak’s connection to the scandal
The probe revealed that the Enerhoatom corruption case did not only affect the state company’s management but may have been closely linked to the political circles of the presidential office. As Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Jermak oversaw the administration’s energy policy and could be considered indirectly responsible for supervising Enerhoatom’s contracts and finances.
In connection with the Enerhoatom case, Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk were already dismissed by Volodymyr Zelensky on November 19, while Timur Mindich, who is allegedly the ringleader of the entire network and close to the presidential circle, is considered a key figure in the scandal.
Jermak’s indirect link to the scandal comes from Mindich’s business activities and the approval of key state contracts, which were closely intertwined with decisions made by the presidential office, which Jermak led.
No formal charges have been brought against Jermak yet, but as head of the presidential office overseeing the Enerhoatom-related contracts, and with searches carried out at his office and home, the media and public have mentioned him as a suspect.
“In fact, the management of a strategic enterprise with an annual revenue of over €4 billion was carried out not by officials, but by outsiders who had no formal authority,” NABU said in a statement.
Hungarian reactions to the scandal
The Jermak scandal also drew sharp comments from Hungary’s foreign minister. Speaking in Belgrade on Wednesday, Péter Szijjártó criticized the EU’s approach to enlargement, stating:
“Serbia would benefit from EU membership… while Ukraine, which operates a corruption machine at the highest state level, would only pose a danger to the bloc, yet they want to admit it as soon as possible.”
The Hungarian media, particularly pro-government outlets, also ran strongly critical and sensational headlines. Some described Ukraine as “the largest state-run mafia,” while others sought to link the corruption scandal directly to President Zelenskyy.
It is important to note, however, that Jermak’s official involvement in the corruption case has not been proven, and the investigation is still ongoing, meaning legal responsibility has yet to be established.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons
So, obviously, we need to send Zelensky & co. another nine hundred bazillion dollars for them to embezzle and a trillion tons of weapons and ammo for them to resell on the black market.
And as per our Politicians recommendation – have Serbia join the EU immediately, notwithstanding the fact they are on the same corruption rating as Ukraine – Rank 105 ?
Speaking of corruption, Hungary is hardly in a position to point fingers – Rank 82 …