On May 22, NABU and SAPO reported suspicions against the former deputy head of the Presidential Office, Andrei Smirnov, of illegal enrichment.
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This was confirmed by the ex-deputy of Andrei Ermak himself.
ZN.ua and Ukrainskaya Pravda write about the suspicion, citing their own sources. Previously, detectives conducted searches of Smirnov, his driver, mother and brother.
According to investigators, Smirnov illegally enriched himself and received ownership of apartments in an elite new building in Lviv, a plot of land in the Carpathians, a parking space in Kyiv, as well as a Volkswagen Multivan, BMW and a motorcycle, which he registered in the name of his brother Igor. He allegedly acquired these assets at a price significantly below the market price.
The apartments, plot and parking space, according to official documents, were purchased at a discount several times; in particular, the cost of the apartment was reduced six times.
Law enforcement agencies have not yet commented on this event.
In March 2023, the SAPO opened a case against Smirnov at the request of the Anti-Corruption Human Rights Council NGO. We were talking about property registered in the name of Smirnov’s brother, which was allegedly acquired by Smirnov himself.
UPDATE
NABU also confirmed that the ex-deputy head of the Presidential Office is suspected of illegal enrichment of UAH 15.7 million.
During the period from 2020 to 2022. the official received assets worth UAH 17.1 million, having savings and official income for this period in the amount of 1.3 million. We are talking about 2 cars (Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen), 2 motorcycles (Honda, BMW), three parking spaces in Kyiv , an apartment in Lviv and a plot of land in Transcarpathia. To hide the presence of this property, the official registered it in the name of his brother and friend, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement.
Background
Smirnov is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician. From September 10, 2019 to March 29, 2024, he served as deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ermak. Previously, he worked in state and local government bodies, as well as in the Security Service of Ukraine.
In 2014 he began his political career. He was nominated as a people’s deputy from electoral district No. 49 of the Donetsk region. He was a self-nominated candidate. And already in the 2015 local elections he ran for the Dnepropetrovsk Regional Council from the UKROP party and passed.
The publication “Investigation.info” wrote that in 2016, Smirnov could have helped judge Nikolai Chaus, accused of corruption, to hide from the investigation. In June 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Chaus to 10 years in prison.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.