Detention of President’s Office Ex-Adviser for Embezzlement: Will It Shake Up Kyiv?

The detention of a former advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Office on embezzlement charges could have reverberations.

Kyiv Post sources within law enforcement agencies confirmed that Artem Shylo – a freelance adviser to the presidential office from 2021 to 2022 – was arrested for allegedly leading a group that embezzled Hr.94.7 million ($2.4 million) from Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) through the purchase of transformers at inflated prices.

On Tuesday, April 2, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced on Telegram that they’d detained the leader, co-organizer, and two members of the criminal group.

Shylo is linked to Oleh Tatarov, the deputy head of the presidential office – which is led by Zelensky’s top advisor, Andriy Yermak.

In an interview with Bihus.info, Shylo said that he advised Tatarov. He was also seen at Tatarov's birthday party.

 “Shylo's role extended beyond his official title, exerting influence on various matters within the presidential office,” a source told Kyiv Post.

In 2022, Shylo was reportedly transferred to a position in the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine).

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During his time at the SBU, Shylo held the position of head of the Department of Counterintelligence Protection of Critical Infrastructure Facilities and Combating Terrorist Financing (Department “I”), which exerted influence on Ukrainian businesses.

Investigative journalist Yuri Nikolov told Kyiv Post: “Through Tatarov, issues concerning law enforcement and law enforcement agencies were addressed, while matters regarding sanctions and international business activities passed through Shylo.”

Yevhen Cherniak, the head of Global Spirits, the largest alcohol holding in Eastern Europe, voiced concerns on his Facebook page, stating that all criminal cases against their company were personally approved by Shylo.

“All criminal cases against our company have been personally signed by this rear-echelon corrupt official. Fabricated and unissued suspicions, over a hundred searches, pressure documented on video, audio, intimidation—and not a single piece of evidence, not a single violation throughout the entire concocted case,” he wrote. 

“Apart from Global Spirits, another 400 Ukrainian businesses are under pressure from similar cases; now it will definitely become easier. Justice exists; we just need to fight for it…Other corrupt individuals—be prepared. No one will forget or overlook anything; everything will be done according to the law, not quickly, but surely!”

Shylo was dismissed from his post at the SBU two weeks before his arrest but apparently did not attempt to flee.

According to Kyiv Post sources, the NABU operation came as a surprise to nearly everyone.

The Kyiv Post sources said that Tatarov’s team will likely support Shylo, as he might have sensitive information that could be harmful to others in the Presidential Office.

Investigative journalist Yuriy Nikolov told Kyiv Post that while representatives of the Presidential Office cannot pressure NABU or the court directly, they could try to move the case over to another government structure, like the National Police or the SBU – that might act more slowly or less independently than NABU.

NABU is sometimes accused of being beholden to the United States. However, Vitaly Shabunin, the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC) dismissed the possibility of any foreign involvement in Shylo’s case.

He said that NABU's investigation has been going on for over a year and that NABU detectives had meticulously conducted their work, uncovering an evident and straightforward embezzlement scheme.