Former head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine sentenced to prison after being caught red-handed taking $3,000,000 in bribes
Former head of Ukraine's Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniaziev will serve five years in prison under a plea deal in a large-scale bribery case, anti-corruption prosecutors announced on Monday, Reuters reports.
Kniaziev was accused of accepting a $2.7 million bribe in 2023 in exchange for a favorable ruling, a case seen as a key test of Kiev's wartime anti-corruption campaign, which has been closely watched by foreign partners.
According to the Ukrainian media, Kniaziev, installed as the president of the Supreme Court in October 2021, was caught red-handed while receiving bribes of almost 3 million dollars, the money coming from supporters of a court decision in favor of the Ukrainian billionaire Konstantin Jevago, the owner of the Ferrexpo mining plant, detained in France in December 2022, at the request of Kiev, on charges of embezzlement.
Fighting deep-rooted corruption is essential for Ukraine as the country seeks financial support and solid progress towards joining the European Union, while fighting against Russia in a war now in its fifth year, Agerpres notes.
Kniaziev, who previously denied any wrongdoing, agreed as part of the deal to testify against other suspects, said prosecutors, who, under Ukrainian law, have not formally identified him.
Reuters reports that the former head of Ukraine's Supreme Court could not immediately be reached for comment.
At the same time, based on the plea agreement, the authorities will confiscate two properties and an amount of more than 200,000 dollars. Kniaziev must also donate $1.1 million to the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine, where anti-corruption authorities have indicted several former ministers and presidential advisers in recent years, ranked 104th out of 182 countries in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index.
