Andrii Smyrnov, the former deputy head of the President's Office, was released from custody on bail of Hr 18 million ($433,000), Suspilne news outlet reported on May 6, citing the High Anti-Corruption Court.
A day earlier, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a pre-trial restraint on Smyrnov in the form of detention with the right to post bail of Hr 18 million ($435,000) until May 22.
Speaking to Suspilne following the ruling, Smyrnov said he would fight the charges and prove his innocence. "I consider this decision unfair," he said, adding: "I will fight and prove that I am right."
Smyrnov is under investigation for allegedly legalizing illicit assets and accepting a bribe worth $100,000.
Smyrnov held the position of the President's Office deputy head from September 2019 until March 2024, when President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed him without naming a reason.
His lawyer argued that the prosecution failed to present new evidence or justify the need for detention, calling the request "unsubstantiated." The defense maintains that the case has not progressed in over six months and lacks grounds for such a restrictive measure.
According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), Smyrnov acquired assets worth more than Hr 17 million ($408,000) between 2020-2022, although he officially reported his salary and savings for the time period as Hr 1.3 million ($31,200).
Smyrnov reportedly purchased two luxury cars, two motorcycles, several parking spaces, an apartment in Lviv, and a land plot in Zakarpattia Oblast.
In an effort to cover up his ownership of the assets, NABU said that he transferred the majority of the property assets to his brother, but secretly retained access.
On April 16, Smyrnov was charged with new offenses. Between 2019 and 2021, Smyrnov allegedly laundered nearly Hr 6.5 million ($156,000) by funding the construction of seaside homes in Odesa Oblast registered under another company, according to NABU.
After his indictment in May 2024, the properties were re-registered under a trustee’s name. Investigators say Smyrnov also accepted $100,000 worth of construction services in 2022 in exchange for using his influence to sway a tender decision by Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee.
Katie Marie Davies
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