Ukraine Authorities Expose Piles of Money in Supreme Courtroom Corruption Probe

(Reuters) – Ukrainian anti-graft authorities stated on Monday they had been investigating large-scale corruption within the nation’s Supreme Courtroom system and shared {a photograph} of piles of {dollars} neatly lined up on a settee.

The Nationwide Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) didn’t identify anybody accused of corruption, however two native media organizations reported Supreme Courtroom Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev had been detained on suspicion of receiving a $3 million bribe.

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the studies.

The nation’s anti-graft authorities displayed the {photograph} on its Fb web page, which stated the invention adopted investigations by NABU and the workplace of the Particular Anti-corruption Prosecutor (SAP).

“NABU and SAP have uncovered large-scale corruption within the Supreme Courtroom, particularly a scheme for the management and judges of the Supreme Courtroom to obtain bribes,” the bureau stated within the publish. “Emergency investigative actions are underneath approach.”

Brussels has made combating corruption a precondition for Kyiv to affix the 27-member European Union. Regardless of progress in recent times, Ukraine ranks 116th out of 180 international locations in Transparency Worldwide’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, an area information web site, and on-line outlet Ukrayinska Pravda each quoted unnamed officers saying Kniaziev had been detained with out offering additional particulars.

Reuters was not instantly in a position to contact Kniaziev for remark after regular enterprise hours.

Dzerkalo Tyzhnia quoted its supply as saying the cash got here from backers of Ukrainian billionaire Kostyantyn Zhevago, who was arrested in France in December at Kyiv’s request in relation to embezzlement costs.

The businessman advised the courtroom he did nothing incorrect and shouldn’t be extradited.

The cash had come from supporters of a courtroom choice in April that favored pellet producer Ferrexpo Plc, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia quoted its supply as saying. It stated one other 18 Supreme Courtroom judges who heard the Ferrexpo case had been now being searched.

The case addressed a repurchase of about 40.2% of shares within the firm’s Ukraine subsidiary, Ferrexpo Poltava Mining, which was bought to Zhevago and different events.

(Reporting by Elaine Monaghan; Modifying by Lisa Shumaker)

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