The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office launched a criminal investigation into the disclosure of data constituting the secret of the pre-trial investigation. We are talking about the case of the former Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev and his accomplice, who were exposed as taking bribes.

The SAP press service stressed that the disclosure of legally protected information is illegal and can cause irreparable damage to the interests of the state.

“Persons who illegally disclosed legally protected materials related to the competition for the High Qualifications Commission of Judges of Ukraine, which were seized during undercover investigative actions in the office of the former Chairman of the Supreme Court, should be punished under Ukrainian law,” the SAP stressed.

Note that the proceedings were opened under the article on the disclosure of data of operational-search activities, pre-trial investigation.

What preceded this

• On May 15, NABU announced the exposure of large-scale corruption in the Supreme Court of Ukraine. Law enforcement officers detained the former head of the Armed Forces Vsevolod Knyazev.
• On May 16, during the plenum of the Supreme Court, 140 judges supported Knyazev's expression of no confidence. It was also adopted a decision of the plenum on the termination of the powers of the head of the Supreme Court. Subsequently, the SAPO reported the suspicion to Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Knyazev and his accomplice, a lawyer in the case of taking a bribe.
• Knyazev himself, suspected of bribery, considers his detention “illegal”. But this did not help, he is still in isolation.

Details of the corruption scandal

NABU exposes Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev on receiving a bribe of about $3 million (approximately UAH 110 million). Knyazev received money from people who advocated a court decision in favor of the oligarch Konstantin Zhevago.

Note that earlier the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court considered the case on the ownership of 40.19% of the shares of the Poltava mining and processing plant (PGOK) Ferrexpo. By its decision, the authority left the said shares to the companies associated with Zhevago, canceling the invalidation of the sale and purchase agreements concluded 20 years ago.