Andrii Yermak, the former head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, was released from custody on May 18 after a group of companies raised more than 94 million hryvnias in bail over the weekend. This amount, however, still fell short of the court-ordered total of 140 million hryvnias, with approximately 85 million hryvnias needed to fully secure his release.
The largest contribution came from the private organization “Scientific Research Forensic Institution,” which donated 30 million hryvnias. Founded in Kyiv in 2017, this company participates in state tenders for forensic examinations and research until September 2025. Its director, Volodymyr Ivankov, stated, “I wanted to personally contribute to his bail. There is no motivation behind this; it was simply my decision. I am not a supporter of Yermak. The company has no ties to him; I view this as a costly advertisement, and the funds will eventually be returned. I believe the charges against him will collapse entirely.”
Another significant donation of 4 million hryvnias came from the law firm “A.DVA.KA.T,” led by Yaroslav Kuts, who previously ran for parliament and local council. Kuts did not respond to inquiries from journalists. However, his social media posts indicated he had been questioning Yermak’s role in the government.
Additionally, the company “Specialized Management Stroyelktromontazh” contributed 32 million hryvnias. Established in Dnipro in 2000, it focuses on residential and non-residential construction. This company has previously been involved in a criminal investigation regarding money laundering and tax evasion, but its director, Valeriy Reznik, did not respond to requests for comment.
Private enterprise “SV-GROUP,” which specializes in automobile sales, added 10.2 million hryvnias. Attempts to contact its owner, Valeriya Prodan, were unsuccessful.
Another 14 million hryvnias came from the Kyiv-based law firm “De Lege Lata,” owned by Vitaliy Marfin, a former SBU officer with a controversial past. Marfin declined to comment on the bail, citing attorney-client privilege.
Lastly, 4 million hryvnias were contributed by “Arena Marin,” a logistics company from Odesa, whose owner, 76-year-old Oleksandr Rusnyak, could not be reached for comment.
Prior to the weekend, approximately 54 million hryvnias had already been raised for Yermak’s bail, indicating that the final total exceeded the required amount by 14 million hryvnias. Video footage from outside the detention center showed Yermak claiming ignorance about who had contributed to his bail.
Andrii Yermak, former head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, was released after over 94 million hryvnias was raised in bail. Despite the shortfall from the total required, contributions exceeded expectations, with various companies involved in the fundraising.
Source: Схеми