Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have begun searching the apartment of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, the BBC reported. The Anti-Corruption Bureau, Nabu, one of the two agencies, confirmed that the investigation had been authorized and said further details would be released in due course.
Several people close to Mr. Zelensky have been embroiled in corruption scandals, but neither he nor his right-hand man, Mr. Yermak, have been accused of wrongdoing.
Andriy Yermak is a close ally of the president and has been keeping an eye on the Russian invasion. He is also Kiev’s chief negotiator in peace talks with the United States, a position increasingly threatened by critics who want him to step down.
The search comes at an extremely awkward time for President Zelenskiy and his closest allies, as U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to arrive in Kiev by the end of this week as President Donald Trump moves forward with drafting a peace plan. U.S. officials will head to Moscow next week.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy’s position has been weakened by domestic corruption scandals.
Corruption scandals have rocked Ukraine this month, with investigators linking several high-profile figures to the alleged embezzlement of $100m (£75m) in the energy sector.
Two anti-corruption agencies, Nabu and Sapp, said they had uncovered a wide-ranging scheme to receive kickbacks and influence state-owned enterprises, including the state-run nuclear energy company Enerhoatom.