The Knyazev case continues. New suspicions issued to a retired judge and three other Supreme Court judges
Kyiv • UNN
Four more Supreme Court judges have been served with notices of suspicion. The investigation concerns a bribe from the owner of the Finance and Credit group in exchange for a court ruling.
The SAPO and NABU have announced new suspicions in the corruption case involving the Supreme Court. The trial of former Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Kniaziev is already underway, UNN reports.
On the instructions of the head of the SAPO, prosecutors, with the participation of NABU detectives, served new suspicion notices in the Supreme Court corruption case. These concern: three sitting Supreme Court judges and one retired Supreme Court judge,
"NABU and SAPO have expanded the circle of suspects in the large-scale corruption involving the former Chairman of the Supreme Court. This involves three sitting Supreme Court judges, as well as a retired Supreme Court judge, who, according to the investigation, while serving as judges of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, received an improper benefit for making a decision in the interests of the owner of the 'Finance and Credit' group," NABU added.
The SAPO noted that judges of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court consider the most complex cases and resolve exceptional legal issues.
Substance of the case
According to the investigation, these individuals received an improper benefit for making a decision in the interests of the owner of the "Finance and Credit" group. Specifically, in 2002, a Ukrainian businessman purchased 40.19% of the shares of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant from four companies (hereinafter – former shareholders).
18 years later, the former shareholders filed a lawsuit in commercial court to have the securities purchase agreement declared invalid and to reclaim the shares of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant. However, the court denied the claims.
In 2022, the court of appeal overturned the first-instance decision and declared the securities purchase agreement invalid.
"To prevent the loss of shares, in early March 2023, the businessman entered into a conspiracy with a lawyer from a 'back office' at the Supreme Court. During March–April 2023, the businessman transferred 2.7 million USD to the lawyer," the SAPO noted.
On April 19, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the businessman. "Following this, in May 2023, 1.8 million USD was distributed among the Chairman and judges of the Supreme Court," the SAPO reported.
On May 15, 2023, the Chairman of the Supreme Court and the lawyer were caught while receiving the second tranche of the improper benefit in the amount of 450,000 USD.
The case involving the charges against the former top official, the SAPO indicated, is currently being heard in the HACC.
NABU and SAPO do not state it directly, but the HACC is trying the former Chairman of the court, Vsevolod Kniaziev.
As the SAPO indicated, in July 2023, the businessman himself was also notified of suspicion.
And in September 2025 – the person through whose complicity the transfer of funds from the owner of the "Finance and Credit" group to the Chairman and judges of the Supreme Court was ensured. On May 15, 2026, the indictment against the intermediary was sent to the HACC for consideration on the merits.
On October 15, 2025, the HACC Appeals Chamber granted permission for a special pre-trial investigation in the case of the owner of the "Finance and Credit" group.
"We note that the exposure of the Supreme Court judges involved in receiving improper benefits in the interests of the owner of the 'Finance and Credit' group became possible after obtaining important additional evidence, which NABU and SAPO consider sufficient to bring these individuals to criminal responsibility," the SAPO emphasized.
The investigation into the case is ongoing.