Editor's note: The story is being updated.
The former deputy head of the Presidential Office was charged with illicit enrichment, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said on May 22.
While NABU did not say the name of the suspect, Ukrainska Pravda reported earlier in the day, citing undisclosed law enforcement sources, that it was Andrii Smyrnov.
Smirnov held the position of 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 ($~426,000) between 2020-2022, although he officially reported his salary and savings for the time period as Hr 1.3 million ($32,500).
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.
Martin Fornusek
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions . It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
