Ukraine court keeps ankle monitor on ex-official

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has rejected a request by former presidential office official Andriy Yermak to remove the requirement that he wear an electronic ankle monitor while awaiting trial on corruption-related charges.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the court said it had denied a motion filed by Yermak's defence team seeking to amend his pretrial restrictions, Caliber.Az reports. 

"The judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court denied the motion filed by the defence team of the former head of the presidential office to change the pretrial measure, specifically to lift the requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device," the court said.

According to the case file, Yermak was charged on May 11 with participating in money laundering. Investigators from Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) searched his residence the following day.

The court initially ordered him to be held in pretrial detention for 60 days, with the option of release on bail set at 140 million hryvnias (about $3.1 million).

Yermak was released on bail on May 18 after spending four nights in custody. As part of the conditions of his release, he must wear an electronic ankle monitor, surrender his international passports, and appear before investigators or the court when summoned.

By Sabina Mammadli