Andrii Smyrnov, a former deputy head of the Presidential Office who is accused of illicit enrichment, was released from custody on bail of Hr 10 million (around $245,000), Hromadske reported on May 29, citing the High Anti-Corruption Court.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said on May 22 that an ex-deputy head of the Presidential Office had been charged with illicitly enriching himself with Hr 15.7 million ($386,000) while in his former position but did not name the suspect.
Later in the day, Ukrainska Pravda reported that, according to its sources, the suspect in question was Smyrnov.
After his release from custody, Smyrnov is not allowed to leave Kyiv without special permission, is obliged to notify the authorities about changing his residence and workplace and deposit his passport or other documents for traveling abroad.
Smyrnov must also arrive at every request to a detective, prosecutor, and court.
The obligations imposed on Smyrnov will remain in force until June 28.
Smyrnov held the position of the Presidential Office's deputy head from September 2019 until March 2024, when President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed him without naming a reason.
According to NABU, the suspect acquired assets worth more than Hr 17 million (around $418,000) between 2020 and 2022, although he officially reported his salary and savings for the time period as Hr 1.3 million (around $32,000).
Smyrnov reportedly purchased two luxury cars, two motorcycles, several parking spaces, an apartment in Lviv, and a plot of land in Zakarpattia Oblast.
In an apparent effort to obfuscate his ownership of the assets, NABU said that he transferred the majority of the property assets to his brother but secretly retained access.
Nate Ostiller
(Updated: )
