Ukraine's former Supreme Court chief justice jailed for graft

By Dan Peleschuk

KYIV, ‌June 8 (Reuters) - ​The ​former head of Ukraine's Supreme Court will serve five years in ‌prison under a plea deal in a ⁠high-profile bribery case, anti-corruption prosecutors said on Monday.

Vsevolod ‌Kniaziev was accused of ‌accepting a $2.7 million bribe in 2023 in exchange for a court ruling — a case ​seen as a key test of Kyiv's wartime anti-corruption drive, closely watched by ⁠foreign partners.

Tackling deep-seated corruption is critical for Ukraine as it ​seeks sustained financial support and progress towards European Union membership while fighting ​Russia in the fifth year ‌of the war.

Kniaziev, who had earlier denied wrongdoing, agreed as part ⁠of the deal to testify against other suspects, prosecutors said. They did not formally identify ⁠him by name, per Ukrainian law.

He could not immediately ​be reached for comment.

Under the agreement, authorities will confiscate two properties and more than $200,000. Kniaziev must also ‌donate $1.1 million to Ukraine's military.

Ukraine, where anti-graft authorities have charged former ‌ministers and presidential advisers in recent years, ⁠ranked 104th out ‌of 182 countries ​in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index.

(Reporting by Dan PeleschukEditing by Ros ‌Russell)

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