Ukraine uncovers a “large-scale” millionaire corruption network and arrests the president of the Supreme

In Ukraine’s Supreme Court, the country’s investigators have uncovered a network of “large scale corruption” regarding bribery of several of its judges. In this operation he was arrested this Tuesday on president of the Ukrainian Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev for his alleged involvement in a millionaire case of bribery, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in kyiv reported today.

“The Chief Justice has been arrested and steps are being taken to investigate other people for their involvement in a crime“said prosecutor Oleksandr Omelchenko during the press conference, quoted by local media.

Several Ukrainian publications reported on Monday citing official sources of Knyazev’s arrest for having received bribes worth about 2.4 million euros.

[Ola de dimisiones en el gobierno de Zelenski por acusaciones de corrupción al Ministerio de Defensa]

large scale corruption

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anti-Corruption Office of Ukraine have also announced the discovery of a case “of large-scale corruption in the Supreme Court of Ukraine” related to “the collection of inappropriate benefits by the leadership” of the Court and some judges.

According to the Anti-Corruption Office, it is the largest case of corruption in the judiciary never known in Ukraine. However, Ukraine has a corruption problem in many areas of its institutions, and according to the 2021 Transparency International list, it was in the ranked 122 out of a total of 180 countries.

Local media point to Ukrainian oligarch escaped to France Kostyantyn Zhevago as one of the beneficiaries of this alleged purchase of judges. Zhevago’s press service – whose extradition to Ukraine was rejected in March by France – has denied its involvement in the case.

wave of resignations

At the end of January, the Ministry of Defense already underwent a broad reform after a wave of dismissals and resignations. The scandal came when the January 21st the local newspaper ZN.UA reported that the Ministry of Defense was buying some food for the military at prices two or three times higher than those in kyiv grocery stores.

The amount of these “technical problems” with food suppliers, as described by the Ministry, is around €350 million in different orders.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenkoone of Zelensky’s main advisers, He was the first to present his letter of resignation. He did it through Telegram and shortly after Olexij Reznikov, Defense Minister, assured that “the credibility of the Ministry is being undermined.”

“There are already personnel decisions, some today, some tomorrow, regarding officials at various levels in the ministries and other central government structures, as well as in the regions and in the application of the law“Zelensky said in his late-night speech on January 23.

Ukraine’s concern in these cases resides in the fact that the EU has made it an essential condition that the government clean up its institutions if it wants to continue receiving aid for operations in the war with Russia.