Head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court detained while receiving a $3 million bribe

The head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Vsevolod Kniaziev, was detained, according to anti-corruption authorities in Ukraine, who described the arrest as an important milestone in their campaign against high-level corruption.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office documented the receipt of a bribe of about $3 million by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Sources: NABU, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Office

Despite Russia’s invasion and the ongoing war, Ukraine has stepped up its efforts to combat corruption, and doing so is essential to fulfilling the requirements for joining the European Union.

The chief justice of the Supreme Court was held as part of an alleged bribery plot, according to Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office prosecutor Oleksandr Omelchenko, who added that the judge was awaiting a formal “notice of suspicion.”

At a joint press conference with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), Omelchenko stated, “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.”

When NABU revealed that anti-corruption organizations were looking into widespread infractions in the Supreme Court system, it also posted a picture of carefully organized dollar bills on a sofa.

The head of the Supreme Court was accused of accepting a $2.7 million bribe, according to a statement from NABU. Semen Kryvonos, the agency’s director, stated at the briefing on Tuesday that it was the most well-known instance involving Ukrainian agencies battling corruption.

“We are demonstrating what our priority is—top corruption and criminal organizations at the highest levels of power—through real cases and real deeds,” he stated.

According to Kryvonos, the bribe was given to influence the court’s decision in favour of the Finance and Credit bank, which well-known businessman Konstantin Zhivago owns. Zhivago denied any wrongdoing.

Ukraine’s Supreme Court denounced corruption on May 16 at an emergency session. It declared that it would fully assist the investigation and started the procedure for expressing its lack of trust in Kniaziev.