Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Knyazev has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in a corruption case involving bribery within the court system. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) confirmed that Knyazev will face a five-year prison sentence along with asset confiscation.
As part of the agreement, Knyazev is expected to provide crucial information about the corruption case, which has implicated several judges in a scandal involving Ukrainian oligarch Konstantin Zhevago. He allegedly accepted bribes to influence decisions related to the Financial and Credit Group.
The investigation into this extensive corruption case gained momentum on May 19, when the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and SAP announced new charges against multiple judges. The inquiry revealed that three active judges and one retired judge may have received a share of a $2.7 million bribe for favorable rulings for Zhevago’s business.
Initially, a lower court rejected a lawsuit from former shareholders of the Financial and Credit Group. However, in 2022, an appellate court overturned that decision, declaring the contract invalid. The complexities of the case later led to its review by the Supreme Court’s Grand Chamber.
Investigators reported that to avoid losing shares, Zhevago allegedly funneled $2.7 million to a lawyer through an intermediary between March and April 2023. This money was intended for court officials and specific judges in exchange for favorable judicial outcomes.
On May 15, 2023, law enforcement agencies arrested Knyazev and the lawyer while they were receiving a second bribe installment of $450,000. The case against Knyazev is currently being processed in the High Anti-Corruption Court.
In July 2023, Zhevago himself was charged, and in September 2025, the intermediary was also implicated. On October 15, 2025, the appellate chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court authorized a special pre-trial investigation into Zhevago.
By May 2026, an indictment against the intermediary had been submitted to the court. According to NABU and SAP, new charges against the judges emerged following the acquisition of additional evidence linking them to the bribery scheme.
Ongoing investigations continue to explore the potential involvement of other individuals in this corruption case.
On May 21, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed preventive measures on the judges accused of accepting bribes to issue favorable rulings for the Financial and Credit Group. Judge Irina Grigorieva was placed under a bail condition of 2.5 million hryvnias, with restrictions requiring her to appear in court, remain within Kyiv and the surrounding region, and report her residence.
Judge Igor Zheleznoy was also subjected to a bail condition of 2 million hryvnias, with similar obligations imposed regarding his court appearances and movement.
Vsevolod Knyazev, the former head of Ukraine's Supreme Court, has entered a plea deal in a significant corruption case involving bribery. He faces five years in prison and will provide key information about the scandal that has implicated multiple judges and an oligarch.