NABU serves new suspicion notice to Former Deputy Head of the President’s Office, Smirnov

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) issues new charges against Former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Smyrnov.

This was reported by NABU’s press service.

Smyrnov is suspected of money laundering and accepting a particularly large bribe.

According to investigators, between 2019 and 2021, Smyrnov illegally acquired large amounts of cash, which he allegedly tried to launder by building private houses with a total area of over 300 square meters on the seaside in Odesa region.

To carry this out, he transferred nearly 6.5 million UAH to the landowner. The completed property, which Smyrnov personally used, was initially registered under a company, and after the first set of charges was brought against him in May 2024, it was re-registered under a trusted associate.

This same case includes the bribery charges. According to the investigation, in 2022, the deputy head of the Presidential Office was approached by a construction company owner, who offered a bribe in the form of construction work and services worth $100,000 for the development of one of the aforementioned seaside homes.

In return, the businessman requested Smyrnov’s assistance in securing a favorable ruling from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) — specifically, to cancel the results of a tender won by a competing firm, and ensure his own company’s victory in the new bidding process.

Smyrnov, according to NABU, accepted the offer and helped secure the desired outcome from the AMCU.