Chief Justice of Ukraine arrested in corruption case

Ukrainian Supreme Court chief Vsevolod Knyazev has been arrested in a $2.7 million corruption case, anti-corruption prosecutors said Tuesday.

Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutor Oleksandr Umilchenko told a news conference that "the head of the Supreme Court is in detention" and announced the arrest of another unnamed person.

"It's the biggest case" involving the judicial sector, said National Anti-Corruption Bureau director Simin Krivonos, referring to a "criminal group" involving Supreme Court judges.

According to officials at the anti-corruption office, Ukrainian billionaire Kostyantin Zhivago, whom Ukraine is trying to repatriate from France, has agreed with a law firm to pay a bribe to judges at the Supreme Court until it "issues a decision" on the former lawmaker.

Givago transferred $2.7 million to lawyers, of which $1.8 million was to be paid to Supreme Court judges and $900,<> to lawyers for their "mediation," according to anti-corruption prosecutors.

The prosecution explained that the businessman wanted the court to issue a decision allowing him to maintain the management of shares of a mining company disputed with old shareholders.