The Supreme Court of Ukraine extended the term of office of former Supreme Court Chairman Knyazev
The Supreme Anti-corruption Court of Ukraine extended the procedural duties for the former head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev. He is obliged to appear when summoned by the investigator, has no right to leave the borders of Ukraine and communicate with witnesses in the case. About this informs Transparency International Ukraine.
The prosecutor in the Knyazev case stated the existence of risks of pressure on witnesses and possible evasion of justice. Instead, Knyazev’s defender considers this position “unfounded”, stressing that his client does not work, studies at a university, and if necessary, he can be extradited back to Ukraine.
The case of bribery, in which the ex-chairman of the Supreme Court appears, is still being considered by VACS. In particular, the court studied the protocols relating to the sum of 1.348 million US dollars — according to the investigation, this is an illegal benefit. The money was divided into 13 parts and packed in 8 black bags, each of which contained from 90 to 150 thousand dollars. In September 2023, these packages were first delivered to the apartment where Knyazev received them, and later they were moved to the territory of the Supreme Court.
Knyazev’s defense questions these protocols, noting that they were allegedly not accompanied by proper photo and video evidence.
We will remind you that on May 15 NABU and SAP reported on the disclosure of a scheme for obtaining illegal benefits with the participation of the management and judges of the Supreme Court. As a result, Vsevolod Knyazev, the current head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was detained and 2.7 million dollars were confiscated.
Vsevolod Knyazev and his accomplice, a lawyer, were charged with bribery. The National Anti-corruption Bureau made public the records of the hearing of the head of the Armed Forces within the framework of this proceeding.
On May 16, the Supreme Court held an extraordinary plenum, which was attended by more than 140 of the 168 judges. According to the results of the vote, 142 judges supported the statement on the court’s responsibility for events “occurring in connection with the alleged corrupt actions of its individual representatives.” The plenum also expressed no confidence in the head of the court, Vsevolod Knyazev, and prematurely terminated his powers as the head of the Supreme Administrative Court.
On May 18, 2023, VAKS chose a preventive measure for Knyazev — detention with the possibility of posting bail. After an appeal was filed, the court upheld the decision, but reduced the amount of the bail. In the end, after several revisions, the amount of the deposit amounted to 18.168 million hryvnias. It was paid, and on January 31, 2024, Knyazev was released from the pre-trial detention center.
