Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court sentenced to 5 years and confiscated real estate in Mykolaiv

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev, who was caught taking a bribe, was sentenced to prison. The official agreed to testify against other defendants in the case and lost his property in Mykolaiv and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This was reported by the SAPO press service.

On June 8, 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court approved a plea agreement between the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Knyazev, who was exposed in May 2023 for taking a bribe on a particularly large scale.

As part of the agreement, the defendant pleaded guilty in full, agreed to cooperate with the investigation and provide incriminating evidence against other participants in the corruption scheme. He also agreed to real punishment and confiscation of assets.

The court found Knyazev guilty and sentenced him to five years in prison with disqualification from holding positions in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies for three years.

In addition, the court confiscated his apartment and house in Mykolaiv, 32 thousand hryvnias, 1.7 thousand euros and 201 thousand US dollars of personal savings. A special confiscation of USD 1.248 million, which was the subject of the bribe, was also applied.

Under the terms of the agreement, another USD 1.104 million will be used to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the Come Back Alive charity fund.

The SAPO emphasized that as a result of the agreement, the state received more than USD 2.55 million, or more than UAH 113 million. According to the agency, these funds can be used for defense needs and other public expenditures.

The prosecutor's office also emphasized that the case had been pending in court since August 2024, and the approval of the agreement allowed to complete a lengthy process, obtain a guilty verdict and ensure further exposure of other officials involved in the corruption crime.

After a pause of almost three years, anti-corruption authorities returned to the case of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev in May this year. Three current Supreme Court judges and one retired judge were also suspected of taking bribes for rulings in favor of businessman Kostiantyn Zhevago.

According to the investigation, in 2023, judges of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court may have received bribes for making decisions in favor of the owner of the Finance and Credit group , Kostiantyn Zhevago. The searches were conducted at the Supreme Court's premises, as well as at the suspects' residences and cars.

Анна Бальчінос