Ukraine's former Supreme Court chief justice jailed for graft

Vsevolod Kniaziev is accused of accepting a $2.7 million bribe in 2023 in exchange for a court ruling

The former head of Ukraine's Supreme Court will serve five years in prison under a plea deal in a high-profile bribery case, anti-corruption prosecutors said on Monday.

Vsevolod Kniaziev was accused of accepting a $2.7 million bribe in 2023 in exchange for a court ruling -- a case seen as a key test of Kyiv's wartime anti-corruption drive, closely watched by foreign partners.

Tackling deep-seated corruption is critical for Ukraine as it seeks sustained financial support and progress towards European Union membership while fighting Russia in the fifth year of the war.

Kniaziev, who had earlier denied wrongdoing, agreed as part of the deal to testify against other suspects, prosecutors said. They did not formally identify him by name, per Ukrainian law.

He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Under the agreement, authorities will confiscate two properties and more than $200,000. Kniaziev must also donate $1.1 million to Ukraine's military.

Ukraine, where anti-graft authorities have charged former ministers and presidential advisers in recent years, ranked 104th out of 182 countries in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index.