VAKS stopped the investigation into the case of Konstantin Zhevago, suspected of transferring $2.7 million in bribes to the Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev through an intermediary lawyer Oleg Goretsky
First they put you on the wanted list, and then they slowed down? The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court decided to suspend the investigation into the case against businessman Konstantin Zhevago, suspected of transferring almost $3 million in bribes to the head of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev.
What is happening in the case of Zhevago and Knyazev? And in which direction is the Ukrainian Themis leaning?
The court made the decision to suspend the investigation in the case on September 20. Earlier, as it became known, NABU and SAPO notified Konstantin Zhevago of suspicion of providing unlawful benefits to Knyazev. Later, materials related to the oligarch were separated into a separate production. He was put on the wanted list, and the investigation was stopped. The defense filed complaints against both of these decisions.
The decision states that the proceedings concerning the complaint of Zhevago’s lawyer against the decision of the senior NABU detective of September 6, 2023 regarding the announcement of Zhevago as wanted in criminal proceedings, was closed. In response to the complaint of the suspect’s defender about the decision of the senior NABU detective dated September 6, 2023 to suspend the pre-trial investigation, criminal proceedings were denied.
Let us remind you that NABU and SAPO suspect the ex-chairman and judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine Vsevolod Knyazev of receiving unlawful benefits in the amount of $2.7 million. According to the investigation, these funds were transferred to him through an intermediary, lawyer Oleg Goretsky. Ukrainian oligarch Konstantin Zhevago, according to investigators, provided this bribe so that the Supreme Court would make a decision in his favor regarding the purchase of 40% of the shares of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant.
In 2022, the appeal court annulled the first instance decision and declared the agreement for the purchase and sale of securities invalid. To avoid loss of shares, in early March 2023, Zhevago allegedly entered into a conspiracy with lawyer Goretsky, who had connections with Supreme Court judges. During March-April 2023, he transferred almost $3 million to the lawyer (about $2 million of which went to the Supreme Court judges, the rest as a “commission” for mediation services).
In May of this year, Switzerland seized more than $113 million in the accounts of companies whose ultimate beneficial owner is Konstantin Zhevago, a shareholder of JSC Bank Finance and Credit.
On May 16, the plenum of the Supreme Court expressed no confidence in Chairman Vsevolod Knyazev and therefore prematurely terminated his powers as leader.
On May 18, the High Council of Justice authorized the arrest of Judge Knyazev. On September 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court extended the detention of former Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev until October 16, but the day before it reduced the amount of bail.
