The head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court was detained by anti-corruption authorities due to alleged involvement in a bribery scheme, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Vsevolod Kniaziev, President of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, is suspected of taking a $2.7 million bribe, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said in a statement. Anti-corruption prosecutor Oleksandr Omelchenko did not name Kniaziev specifically, but referenced the head of the Supreme Court when laying out the investigation.
Ukrainian authorities have detained the supreme court chief justice for allegedly having taken bribes from an oligarch, as Kyiv steps up its anti-corruption efforts while at war with Russia. https://t.co/ItbafI3Eq6 via @FinancialTimes
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 17, 2023
“At this time, the head of the supreme court has been detained and measures are being taken to check other individuals for involvement in criminal activity,” Omelchenko said.
NABU shared a photo Monday of a couch with stacks of cash on it in an announcement that it was investigating wide-ranging corruption in the Supreme Court system. (RELATED: Ex-Green Beret Killed In Battle In Ukraine)
NABU’s chief, Semen Kryvonos, said they suspected that a favorable court ruling had been granted in exchange for the bribe for the Finance and Credit financial organization, owned by influential businessman Konstiantyn Zhevago.
The court initiated a process of no confidence in Kniaziev Tuesday and issued a statement condemning corruption. It said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy campaigned on an anti-corruption platform before entering office, and has taken increasing steps to crack down on corruption in the country, particularly since Russia invaded last year.