New details of Knyazev’s case: NABU detectives could have brought the bag with money themselves, which was later “found”
6 August 12:55
New scandalous details have emerged in the case of Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Knyazev. Lawyer Rostyslav Kravets said that during one of the last court hearings, video materials were shown that cast doubt on the legality of finding material evidence in this high-profile case, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“Given the scandals surrounding NABU and SAPO and their manual control, as described by dismissed prosecutors and detectives, Knyazev’s case is starting to play out in a different world,” Kravets wrote.
He noted that at one of the last court hearings, new facts emerged that were seen not only by the defense, but also by journalists and free listeners:
“At one of the last hearings, the broadcasts of which were suspended allegedly due to a large amount of profanity during the examination of evidence, very interesting information emerged that was seen not only by the defense, but also by the free listeners and journalists present. In principle, after that, it is clear why they decided to stop broadcasting, and I do not exclude that it was done at the request of the SAPO and NABU, which the HACC cannot refuse.”
According to Kravets, the court showed video footage from a camera worn by notary Kirill Gorburov, who is called Knyazev’s childhood friend. The lawyer notes:
“In particular, the court showed video recordings from a camera worn by Knyazev’s childhood friend, who, according to unconfirmed information, is suspected of committing other crimes – notary Kirill Gorburov. The recording does not show that he handed over any bag with money, but it is clear that when he leaves the apartment, NABU detectives Indichenko and Polyuga run into the apartment to meet him, the latter holding a bag very similar to the one that was later shown in the media.”
Kravets draws attention to the suspicious behavior of the detectives. According to him, Horburov goes down to the ground floor and leaves the entrance, where investigators with a video camera and a witness are waiting for him outside:
“Then Knyazev’s childhood friend Horburov calmly goes down to the first floor and comes out of the entrance, where investigators with a video camera and a witness are waiting outside. It seems that while the investigators and witnesses were waiting outside, the detectives who entered the apartment put the bag where it belonged and waited for the witnesses and the video to find it in a pompous way.”
Kravets drew a parallel with another well-known case:
“The situation itself reminded me a lot of the story of Judge Chaus, whose jar of money was found not on the plot, but by the roadside, rather sloppily sealed with stones and actually lying open. Time passes, but the methods do not change”.
The lawyer also emphasized other violations in the case:
“Taking into account the wiretapping of the lawyer’s premises by foreigners without the rulings of the investigating judges, which was revealed during the previous hearings, which were still broadcast, the classification by the prosecutor’s office of the protocols on the performance of special tasks by agents in this case, one gets the objective impression that the case itself was simply invented to control the Supreme Court (without Ukraine).”
He concluded his comment with the following words:
“We continue to observe new episodes of this case”.
Court hearings in the Knyazev case
The High Anti-Corruption Court continues to consider the case of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Knyazev, who is accused of organizing a corruption scheme involving judges and intermediaries.
Prosecutors allege that Knyazev received a $1.8 million bribe from businessman Konstantin Zhevago to secure a ruling in his favor regarding shares in Poltava Mining. The court is examining the protocols of operational and investigative measures, audio and video surveillance recordings, in particular, from the office of notary Kirill Gorburov, who is close to Knyazev.
The defense is questioning the legality of these recordings, believing that notarial secrecy was violated in this way. Knyazev himself stated that NABU detectives used a “poisonous source” – a recording from Horburov’s office – to initiate covert investigative actions against him.
On July 18, the court extended Knyazev’s procedural duties. Prosecutors insist that the bail of UAH 18 million is reasonable, as the half a million dollars he allegedly received has not yet been found. There is also a risk of escape – according to the prosecution, it could be financed by interested parties, including Zhevago himself.
The defense denies these allegations, emphasizing that Knyazev lost all influence after his release.
At the last hearing, it also became known that several people had asked the court to recognize themselves as victims in the Knyazev case. This issue is to be considered at the next session.
What is known about Knyazev’s case
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Knyazev is accused of taking $2.7 million in bribes. For this money, the judge ruled in favor of oligarch and billionaire Konstantin Zhevago.
He was released from the pre-trial detention center in late January 2024 on bail of over UAH 18 million.
Finally, in February 2024, the High Council of Justice suspended Knyazev from administering justice as a Supreme Court judge in connection with criminal charges.
In May 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court removed the former Chief Justice’s electronic tracking bracelet because Knyazev complained that he was allergic to the device.
on July 10, several Ukrainian media outlets reported that Vsevolod Knyazev was detained near the Romanian border in the village of Solotvyno in Zakarpattia.
In turn, Knyazev’s lawyer Ivan Starosta said that his client was not detained, but only checked his documents and found out the purpose of his visit to the border area.
