“Dynasty” for $9 million: ex-head of the OP Andriy Yermak suspected in money laundering case — exclusive comment from a lawyer

Former head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak was informed of suspicion in a case related to possible money laundering during the elite construction of the Dynasty residential complex. According to the investigation, it concerns the legalization of property worth about $9 million.

The investigation focuses on the origin of funds invested in the construction, as well as possible schemes for their further legalization through real estate and related structures. Law enforcement officers believe that part of the assets could have been obtained through criminal means and used to invest in premium properties.

However, lawyers draw attention to the difficulty of proving the specific nature of the crime under Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – legalization of property obtained through criminal means.

In an exclusive comment for “Themida.ua”, lawyer, candidate of legal sciences Yuriy Sukhov emphasized that for reasonable suspicion, it is not enough to establish the fact of the presence of funds or property.

“The prosecutor did not state the main thing — by what criminal means this property was obtained. Article 209 provides that assets must be obtained exclusively as a result of committing a crime. This is where the prosecution’s argument should begin,” the lawyer explained.

According to Sukhov, a key element is also proving the suspect’s personal participation in the money laundering scheme and his awareness of the origin of the funds.

“It is necessary to establish whether the person was aware that the property was obtained by criminal means, or at least had reason to assume so. In addition, the law requires specific actions on the part of the suspect — receiving, disposing of, or other transactions with this property. If such actions were carried out by other persons, and the person only knew about it, then this does not yet mean that the crime under the article on money laundering is committed,” the lawyer noted.

The investigation is currently ongoing. Law enforcement officers are identifying all individuals who may have been involved in financial transactions within the “Dynasty” project, as well as the source of funds used for the construction and purchase of real estate.