Kniazev Bribery Case: Former Supreme Court Chief To Serve Over Four Years

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This was reported to Ukrinform by Olha Postoliuk, Spokesperson for the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

"Taking into account that the convict spent nine months in a pre-trial detention facility, he has a little over four years left to serve out of the five-year sentence," she said when asked about Kniazev.

According to her, after the verdict was announced, the former Supreme Court head was taken into custody directly in the courtroom.

As reported by Ukrinform, on Monday, the High Anti-Corruption Court approved a plea agreement with former Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Kniazev and sentenced him to five years of imprisonment.

The court also ordered the confiscation of his apartment and house, over $200,000 in personal savings, and approved special confiscation of $1,248,700, which was identified as illicit benefit.

In addition, by agreement of the parties, the former Supreme Court head will transfer $1,104,600 to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine via the Return Alive foundation.

In May 2023, NABU announced it had exposed a scheme involving a $2.7 million bribe allegedly received by the leadership and judges of the Supreme Court.

Read also: NABU conducting investigative actions involving Supreme Court judge

According to investigators, the bribe was linked to a ruling issued on April 19, 2023, by the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court in a case concerning the legality of the 2002 acquisition of a stake in the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant by Ferrexpo, whose shareholder is businessman Kostiantyn Zhevago.

Following a plenary session of the Supreme Court, 140 judges expressed no confidence in Kniazev as head of the court, and his powers were terminated.

On May 19, 2026, NABU carried out investigative actions in the ongoing corruption case involving the Supreme Court.

On the same day, the NABU announced suspicions against three current Supreme Court judges and one retired judge in the same case.

On May 29, the High Council of Justice suspended three judges from administering justice in connection with the investigation.

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