During the night of May 15, Andriy Yermak, former head of the Presidential Office, spent his second day in pre-trial detention. The bail was set at 140 million hryvnia — it has not been collected in full: according to Ukrainian Pravda, as of the evening of May 15, more than 58 million hryvnia had been received.
The "Midas" Case: What He's Accused Of
Yermak was notified of suspicion on May 11 as part of a major case by NABU and SAP under the codename "Midas," whose materials first appeared in November 2025. The investigation claims that an organized group legalized 460 million hryvnia through the construction of an elite cottage town called "Dynastiya" in Kozyn, Kyiv region — four estates worth up to $2 million each. According to NABU, the funds partially came from schemes involving Energoatom.
Yermak, along with six other suspects, including ex-Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernishov and businessman Timur Mindich, is charged under Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: legalization of property obtained through criminal means, committed by an organized group on an especially large scale. The sanction carries 8 to 12 years imprisonment with confiscation of property.
"Funds were contributed in sufficient quantity, but how much has been credited — is currently unknown."
Yermak's lawyer Igor Fomin — LIGA.net
Who and How Much
Notably, the first contributions were measured in hundreds of hryvnia — specifically 666 hryvnia. However, the nature of the donations quickly changed. According to Schemes, the first 15 million hryvnia were raised by May 14. Then the picture became clearer:
- Serhiy Rebrov, former head coach of Ukraine's national team who resigned in April 2026, — 30 million hryvnia. According to UP journalist Mykhailo Tkach, it was Yermak who once initiated Rebrov's return to the coaching position.
- The rest was contributed by lawyers — as individuals, not on behalf of the bar association.
After the hearing, Yermak told journalists: "I wasn't prepared for this, I hope friends will be able to help." About 95 million hryvnia is still needed.
Who Benefits and Why Now
Yermak's arrest occurred at a time when President Zelensky is publicly not commenting on the case — several media outlets point this out. NABU Director Semen Kryvolus separately stated that the president is not and was not a figure in the case materials — but the very fact of such clarification suggests the question has arisen. NABU, meanwhile, did not name the owner of the R1 residence in "Dynastiya" — and this has already become a separate story in the media space.
The EU ambassador reacted with cautious positivity, calling the arrest "evidence of the resilience of anti-corruption institutions." For Brussels, which has long demanded real anti-corruption steps from Kyiv, a case against a person of such level is a marker, not a detail.
Yermak's lawyer does not rule out that the full bail amount will still be received — simply with a technical delay in crediting. However, if the 140 million hryvnia is not collected by the end of the weekend, the court will have grounds to reconsider the conditions of the preventive measure in the direction of tightening.
A principled question: if the bail is indeed collected — mainly thanks to Yermak's personal connections rather than public support — will this become an argument for the investigation that the suspect has sufficient resources and social capital to influence the case?
