Yermak denies consulting psychics on government appointments
Andriy Yermak (Photo: Serhii Okunev / NV)
Andriy
Yermak, the former head of the President’s Office, insists he did not seek
advice from fortune-tellers before recommending government appointments to President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A video in which Yermak tells reporters, "I definitely didn't talk to fortune-tellers," was posted by the My–Ukraina YouTube channel on May 13.
When asked whether he knows astrologer Veronika Anikievych, Yermak said, "I know several Veronikas. I don't remember their surnames. Maybe one of them is that Veronika... I have many acquaintances." He added that there are so many memes about his corruption case "that there isn't enough time to comment on all of them."
Reporters asked whether he had consulted on appointments to government posts, specifically the appointment of the prosecutor general.
"How could I consult on the appointment of a prosecutor general when the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian parliament] selects that person?" Yermak replied.
At the May 12 court hearing, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) prosecutor Valentina Hrebenyuk said Yermak was likely involved in the appointment of several senior officials and discussed those appointments with a contact saved in his phone as "Veronika feng shui office." Among the appointments allegedly discussed was the selection of Iryna Venediktova as prosecutor general in March 2020.
RFE/RL reporters identified the alleged adviser as
51-year-old Kyiv resident Veronika Anikievych, who describes herself as an
"astrology consultant."
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
