The former chairman of the Supreme Court, judge Vsevolod Kniazev, said that he kept in his office the money brought to him by judges of the Supreme Court.
He stated this during a meeting of the High Council of Justice, which was considering an application for permission to arrest him, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
Kniazev explained the origin of the money that was seized from his office.
He said that his office is not a regime-secret facility and that virtually anyone can come there.
"Different persons brought money to me for safekeeping, even judges of the Supreme Court. They were simply kept in my office," he said.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the High Council of Justice, at a meeting on Thursday, May 18, authorized the arrest of the former head of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniazev, who was caught accepting a bribe in the amount of USD 2.7 million, if the High Anti-Corruption Court makes a corresponding decision.
Kniazev, whose authority as head of the court was terminated by the Plenum of the Supreme Court, expressing no confidence in him, remained as a judge of the Supreme Court.
According to our sources in the law enforcement agencies, Vsevolod Kniazev is suspected of having received almost USD 3 million in bribes from people close to the businessman and former Member of Parliament Kostiantyn Zhevaho, who is on international wanted list, for a decision in his favor.
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