Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are conducting searches in the office of the presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, NABU said in a statement on November 28.
“The investigative actions are authorized and are being carried out as part of the investigation. Details to follow,” it said.
A correspondent for Ukrainian media outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reporting from the scene shared images of anti-corruption agency employees entering the government district in Kyiv, but did not provide further details.
The nature of the searches and the current status of the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff are unknown.
Andriy Yermak’s office has confirmed that they are fully cooperating with the investigators.
“Today, NABU and SAPO are indeed conducting procedural actions at my home. The investigators are not encountering any obstacles. They have been given full access to the apartment, and my lawyers are on site, interacting with law enforcement officials. For my part, I am providing full cooperation,” Yermak wrote on Telegram.
Yermak is considered to be one of the most powerful officials in Ukraine and headed the Ukrainian delegation for talks with the United States in Geneva last week about a potential settlement of the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been rocked by a corruption scandal in recent weeks after it was revealed that funds meant for the country’s vulnerable energy infrastructure have been siphoned off.
Several influential individuals with links to Zelenskyy have been implicated in the scheme.