Ukrainian Supreme Court chairman detained

MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Knyazev and another person suspected of involvement in a corruption scheme have been detained, but no formal charges have yet been brought against them.

"At the present time, two persons have been detained on suspicion of committing a criminal offence. We will apply to the High Council of Justice" seeking the judge's removal from his duties, Ukrainian media have reported citing a statement by Alexander Omelchenko, a senior official at the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, which he made at a press briefing in Kiev on Tuesday.

Asked who exactly was detained, Omelchenko said, "As of now, the head of the Supreme Court has been detained, and measures are being taken to check other persons for their involvement in a criminal offence."

Asked whether the detained persons have been formally notified of being treated as suspects, Omelchenko replied, "Not yet, the Criminal Procedure Code gives us 24 hours to present a suspicion notice."

"Investigative activities are currently underway with judges and go-betweens who were involved in this scheme. No one has yet been notified of being treated as suspects, but two persons have already been detained," Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office head Alexander Klimenko said.

According to Ukrainian media reports, the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anticorruption Bureau announced in the early hours of Tuesday that they "uncovered massive corruption in the Supreme Court, namely a scheme enabling the Supreme Court leadership and judges to obtain unlawful benefit."

"Urgent investigative actions are being taken. Details will follow," media quoted the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office as saying on Tuesday morning.

Sergei Leshchenko, advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office chief, said special services detained Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Knyazev upon receiving a $2.7-million bribe.

"Investigative actions are continuing, including at the judge's home. This was not the first count in which the head of the judicial branch was involved. It has been said that extortions were systemic. Handing a suspicion notice to Knyazev requires an approval from the head of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, which is likely to be given," media quoted Leshchenko as saying on his social account.