KYIV, Ukraine, May 13, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Andriy Yermak, a former chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissed corruption allegations as "unfounded" following a court hearing on Tuesday.

Yermak was Zelensky's closest aide until he resigned in November 2025 after investigators raided his home as part of a sweeping corruption probe that rocked the war-torn country.

"The notice of suspicion is unfounded," Yermak, 54, wrote on Telegram after the hearing, referring to a formal Ukrainian procedural document that informs an individual of suspicion of committing a crime.

"As a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, I have always been guided by the law. And now I will likewise defend my rights, my name, and my reputation," he added.

Prosecutors suspect Yermak of funnelling around $10 million (460 million hryvnias) as part of an organised crime group, which, among others, included former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and ex-Zelensky business associate Timur Mindich.

"The individuals who used funds for the construction of objects on the territory of the 'Dynasty' cottage site, with respect to which the factual circumstances indicate that they were obtained by criminal means, planned to carry out further actions aimed at legalising such property," a prosecutor said at the court.

Yermak denies the allegations. "I own only one apartment and one car," he told journalists, including from AFP, during a court break.

Just over an hour before the hearing, anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors held a surprise press conference on Tuesday, during which they defended their investigation.

"Whenever we reach the stage of notifying a suspect of the charges, we are confident that we have gathered sufficient evidence to ensure that the charges will stand up in court," said Semen Kryvonos, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

Yermak resigned last year in the midst of an investigation -- nicknamed Operation Midas -- into a giant corruption scheme that NABU said involved top government officials.

Ukraine's government last summer attempted to strip the independence of NABU and SAPO, the two anti-corruption agencies established after a pro-democracy uprising in 2014.

The move had triggered rare wartime anti-government protests and forced Zelensky to walk back the decision after criticism from the EU, Kyiv's key financial and military backer.