On February 6, the Supreme Council of Justice suspended the former chief of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev, from the administration of justice for two months.
Knyazev was suspended from the justice administration
The ban is valid until April 4, within the pre-trial investigation period. The reason for the suspension is in connection with criminal prosecution on suspicion of receiving a large bribe.
On February 2, 2024, the High Council of Justice received a request from the Deputy Prosecutor General, the SACPO chief Oleksandr Klymenko dated February 1, 2024 to temporarily suspend the Supreme Court Chairman Knyazev Vsevolod Serhiyovych from the administration of justice in connection with criminal prosecution, the speaker said during the meeting.
The decision was supported by all 14 members of the body present. The Prosecutor General's Office granted the request of Oleksandr Klymenko, Deputy Prosecutor General, Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SACPO).
What is known about the Knyazev case
The former head of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev, became the highest-ranking detained judge in the history of Ukraine. He is suspected of receiving a $2.4 million bribe.
On May 18, the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine chose a preventive measure for the former head of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev, in the form of detention with the possibility of a bail of 107 million hryvnias. He was supposed to be in custody until July 14.
On May 31, Knyazev's lawyers filed an appeal, but the court rejected it, leaving the former head of the Supreme Court in custody. His bail was reduced to 75 million, which was reduced several times.
On July 11, the High Anti-corruption Court (HACC) kept Vsevolod Knyazev in custody with the right to post bail for 75 million hryvnias.
On November 2, 2023, the HACC Appellate Chamber kept the former Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Knyazev in custody until December 9.
On December 5, the SACPO reported that Knyazev's detention was extended until February 2, 2024, while the bail was reduced once again from UAH 35 million to UAH 27 million. After that, also in December, the court reduced Knyazev's bail from 27 to 20 million hryvnias.
On January 30, the Investigating Judge of the HACC reduced Knyazev's bail from UAH 20 million to UAH 18.168 million.
On January 31, bail was paid for Vsevolod Knyazev, which was reduced seven times.
