Court leaves ex-Supreme Court chairman Kniaziev in custody until Oct 16

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has extended the term of detention of the former chairperson of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, until October 16, with the possibility of posting UAH 55 million bail.

That's according to the HACC, Ukrinform reports.

"On Wednesday, September 6, an investigating judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court granted a NABU detective's request and extended the term of the measure of restraint in the form of detention for the former Supreme Court head within the pre-trial investigation period, i.e. until October 16, 2023. As an alternative to the measure of restraint, the suspect has the option of putting up bail of UAH 55 million," the report said.

If the bail is posted, the suspect will be released from custody. In the future, he will be obliged to wear an electronic tracking bracelet, visit the investigator, prosecutor or court when required, not to leave the locality where he lives without the permission of the investigator (detective), prosecutor or court, inform them about any change in his place of residence or work, refrain from communicating with the persons specified in the court order, and hand over to the main department of the State Migration Service in Kyiv his passport(s) for traveling abroad and other documents giving him the right to leave Ukraine.

On May 15, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said they had exposed a corruption scheme involving the leadership and judges of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. The law enforcement officers detained the head of the Supreme Court, Kniaziev, and seized $2.7 million.

On May 16, 2023, during a plenary session of the Supreme Court, 140 judges supported a motion of no confidence in Kniaziev. The judges also adopted a resolution of the plenary session of the Supreme Court on the termination of Kniaziev's powers as head of Ukraine's Supreme Court.

On May 18, the High Council of Justice supported a motion from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office for permission to keep Kniaziev in custody. The same day, HACC chose a measure of restraint for Kniaziev in the form of detention with the possibility of posting UAH 107.3 million bail. The HACC's Appeals Chamber later reduced the amount of the bail first to UAH 75 million and then to UAH 55 million.