KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Anti-corruption units have raided the home and office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, in an unwelcome distraction for Kyiv officials as they battle to defeat Russia’s invasion and persuade U.S. officials to accommodate their demands in peace proposals.
Two national agencies fighting entrenched corruption in Ukraine said they searched Yermak’s office. Yermak, a powerful figure in Ukraine and a key participant in talks with the United States, confirmed they also searched his apartment.
“The investigators are facing no obstacles,” Yermak wrote on the messaging app Telegram. He added that he was cooperating fully with them and his lawyers were present.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are Ukrainian anti-corruption watchdogs. They are behind a major investigation into a $100 million energy sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials.
The scandal has heaped more problems on Zelenskyy as he seeks continued support from Western countries for Ukraine’s war effort and tries to ensure continued foreign funding.
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