Ukraine’s Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) uncovered large-scale corruption in the Supreme Court, namely a scheme to obtain undue benefits by the leadership and judges of the highest judicial body. As part of anti-corruption measures, the head of the Ukrainian Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev was detained, while he was receiving a bribe. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the SAPO documented the receipt of a bribe of about $3 million by Mr Knyazev.
According to the NABU, Mr Knyazev received money from people acting in the interests of oligarch Konstantin Zhevago, last time, in connection with a Poltava mine case. Searches were conducted also in the offices of 18 other judges of the Supreme Court, all were participating in the case of the mining company Ferrexpo in Poltava.
Briefly about the above-named persons
Mr Zhevago is a once MP of Ukraine with strong business background, a kind of oligarch, who has been living in France for a while. He is a suspect of perpetrator of financial crimes in France. In late March, a French court has rejected Ukraine’s request to extradite him.
Vsevolod Knyazev is 44, he is from Mykolaiv, a Ukrainian judge. He has been the President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine since 2021. He is formally arrested in May 2023, and has been charged with graft in a public office, and accused of accepting a bribe of $3 million.
What is the problem with this corruption scandal?
Vsevolod Knyazev is an educated young Ukrainian (born in 1978) who quickly rose to the top of power. He is not a typical Soviet man, nor an oligarch. He is a Ukrainian state official. A public servant, who was picked up personally by Zelenskyy in order to build a new Ukraine, a corruption-free and democratic one. It is undoubtable that he can be called a ’tried man of Zelenskyy’, in addition, in the position of President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Mr Knyazev became a powerful official who eventually abused power.
As President of the Supreme Court, Mr Knyazev had all the power to make decisions not only in judicial processes, but also in personnel matters and with regard to financial issues. Instead of being ’untouchable’, he deliberately decided to choose corruption, which he should have fought against ex officio. Pictures of the piles of cash (millions of dollars!) neatly lined up on Knyazev’ sofa shocked the world.
Mr Knyazev worked in close cooperation with anti-corruption authorities not only in Ukraine but everywhere in Europe, furthermore, all the EU funds provided for Ukraine to reform its judicial system were all at his disposal. Who will take responsibility for this case? Finally, after this scandal, who will trust Ukraine? Shall the Knyazev case help the world to believe Ukraine can crack down on corruption? In this matter, my position is quite sceptical.
Sources:
www.reuters.com (Ukraine Supreme Court chief dismissed after being detained in bribery case, May 16, 2023)
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