Former Supreme Court Chief Vsevolod Kniaziev Enters Plea Deal in Major Corruption Case
Former Chief Justice of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, has entered a plea agreement in a significant corruption case. Kniaziev, who served as Chief Justice from 2021 to 2023, was implicated in a bribery scheme involving a $2.7 million payment intended to influence a court ruling in favor of businessman Kostiantyn Zhevago. The High Anti-Corruption Court found Kniaziev guilty, and under the plea deal, he will serve five years in prison, return the bribe, and donate an additional $1 million to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The case, which involved intermediaries such as lawyer Oleh Horetskyi and notary Kyrylo Horburov, aimed to overturn a lower court decision affecting Zhevago’s company. Kniaziev’s plea deal includes providing testimony against alleged accomplices, including several Supreme Court judges.