Suspicion notified to 3 current Supreme Court judges and retired judge in corruption case

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SAPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) have notified new suspicions in the case regarding corruption in the Supreme Court: three current Supreme Court judges and one retired judge are suspected of receiving an unlawful benefit for making a decision in the interests of the owner of the Finance and Credit group, SAPO has said.

"Following the instructions of the head of SAPO, prosecutors, with the participation of NABU detectives, notified new suspicions in the case regarding corruption in the Supreme Court. This concerns: three current judges of the Supreme Court; a retired judge of the Supreme Court," SAPO reported on its Telegram channel on Tuesday.

SAPO emphasizes that judges of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court consider the most complex cases and resolve exceptional legal issues.

"According to the investigation, these individuals received an unlawful benefit for making a decision in the interests of the owner of the Finance and Credit group," the report states.

The report does not mention the owner's name, but it refers to businessman Kostiantyn Zhevaho.

According to the anti-corruption prosecution, in 2002, the Ukrainian businessman purchased 40.19% of the shares of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant (PGOK) from four companies.

SAPO specifies that 18 years later, the former shareholders filed a lawsuit in commercial court to recognize the securities purchase and sale agreement as invalid and to regain the shares of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant. However, the court denied the claims.

"In 2022, the court of appeals overturned the decision of the first instance and recognized the securities purchase and sale agreement as invalid. To prevent the loss of shares, in early March 2023, the businessman entered into a conspiracy with a lawyer from a 'back office' at the Supreme Court," the report notes.

According to SAPO, during March-April 2023, the businessman transferred $2.7 million to the lawyer.

"On April 19, 2023, the Supreme Court made a decision in favor of the businessman. Following this, in May 2023, $1.8 million was distributed between the Chairman and judges of the Supreme Court," the report says.

On May 15, 2023, the Chairman of the Supreme Court and the lawyer were exposed while receiving the second tranche of the unlawful benefit in the amount of $450,000. The case accusing the former top official is currently being heard in the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC).

SAPO notes that in July 2023, suspicion was notified to the businessman himself, and in September 2025, to the individual whose assistance ensured the transfer of funds from the owner of the Finance and Credit group to the Chairman and judges of the Supreme Court.

On October 15, 2025, the HACC Appeals Chamber granted permission for a special pre-trial investigation in the case of the owner of the Finance and Credit group.

"We note that the exposure of the Supreme Court judges involved in receiving the unlawful benefit in the interests of the owner of the Finance and Credit group became possible after obtaining important additional evidence, which NABU and SAPO consider sufficient to hold these individuals criminally liable," the anti-corruption prosecution concludes.

The investigation in the case is ongoing.