Former Supreme Court head released on US$476,000 bail

Vsevolod Kniazev, former head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine has been released on bail to the tune of 18.16 million hryvnias (about US$476,000). 

Source: Ukrainska Pravda’s sources in anti-corruption law enforcement bodies

Details: The sources said that the bail for Kniazev has already been posted. The relevant procedure is currently underway, and he will soon be able to leave the pre-trial detention centre.

The day before, the High Qualification Commission of Judges extended his pre-trial jail term until 29 March and lowered the bail amount from 20 million hryvnias (roughly US$528,000) to 18 million.

Previously: On 30 January, the court reduced Kniazev's bail from 20 million to 18.16 million hryvnias.

Prior to that, his bail had already been reduced six times. Last time, on 21 December 2023, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court reduced the bail by 7 million hryvnias to 20 million.

On 26 December 2023, the investigating judge of the High Qualification Commission of Judges imposed a time limit on the defence’s review of the case file at the request of a National Anti-Corruption Bureau detective, with the agreement of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office prosecutor. The review term ends on 1 March.

Background: 

On 15 May 2023, the Chief of the Supreme Court of Ukraine and his lawyer were caught red-handed receiving their second tranche of payments in the amount of US$450,000, in an act of bribery that had netted them a total of US$2.6 million. The very next day, the Plenum of the Supreme Court expressed a vote of no confidence in Vsevolod Kniazev, and he lost his position as the head of the Supreme Court. 

The media reported that Vsevolod Kniazev received money from people acting on behalf of oligarch Kostiantyn Zhevago. Zhevago's press service claimed that he had nothing to do with the bribery.

On 16 May 2023, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office served the head of the Supreme Court and his lawyer with a notice of suspicion. 

On 3 August 2023, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office served Konstantin Zhevago, the former owner of the now-liquidated Finance and Credit Group bank, with a notice of suspicion. The investigation against the lawyer was spun off into a separate criminal case.

Vsevolod Kniazev is in a pre-trial detention centre. He complained that due to the seizure of all of his property and accounts, he lacked the funds to pay for Internet access in the detention centre.

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