AP: situation around Yermak complicated Kyiv's positions

Corruption accusations against former head of the Ukrainian president's office Andriy Yermak have put Ukrainian authorities in a difficult position amid the country's desire to join the European Union.

This is reported by Associated Press.

The agency notes that the problem of corruption has long been one of the key obstacles on Ukraine's path to negotiations on EU membership. According to the authors of the material, the new investigation could further delay Kyiv's European integration process.

Earlier, Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities reported charges against Yermak in a money laundering case. According to NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, it involves the legalization of 460 million hryvnia obtained as part of a scheme in the construction of elite real estate near Kyiv

The investigation believes that an organized group was involved in the case. Yermak is charged under the article on legalization of property obtained by criminal means on an especially large scale. The sanction provides for up to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.