Kniazev case: HACCU watched records of money transfer brought by Mykolaiv ex-deputy Horburov before his arrest

Vsevolod Knyazev and his defence lawyers, lawyers Oleksandr Gotov and Ivan Starosta. Photo: Court reporter

Another piece of evidence has been examined in the case of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev. This time, the court watched the recordings of Mykolaiv notary and ex-politician Kyrylo Horburov, who brought the accused money for the Supreme Court judges.

Details of the court hearing are published by Court Reporter.

According to the investigation, it is about $1.8 million from businessman Kostiantyn Zhevago, which the former chief justice received for himself and other judges. The intermediary in the transfer of funds was Kyrylo Horburov from Mykolaiv, a long-time friend of Kniazev. However, at that time he was already acting in cooperation with NABU agents.

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The actions on the video, which the court examined, took place in May 2023 in Knyazev's apartment.

On 3 May, Horburov came to his apartment and, according to the investigation, handed over the first part of the money in a bag.

«Put it there,» Kniazev allegedly said.

«Yes, I'll leave it there,» Horburov replied and put the bag in the middle of the room.

«That's all, thank you. Go on, be in touch.»

«Everything else is there too.»

«Okay. Goodbye. Thank you.»

Vsevolod Kniazev then transferred the money to the car and drove it to the Supreme Court.

On 8 May, Horburov and Kniazev sat at the table and discussed the next transfer of money. During the conversation, the ex-judge asked whether they had managed to collect the money, to which Horburov replied in the affirmative and specified when to bring it.

«Yeah, look, Zhevago is giving some cases there, too,» says Horburov.

«As we agreed, because... He just called and said he had bought them. And he was right, really. And this one with the claims... Why is he doing this?» (smacking sounds in the background).

«Come on,» says Horburov, and we hear glasses clinking. Horburov and Kniazev are drinking. «Are we still taking the cases?» asks Horburov.

«Yes, yes,» Knkiazev replies.

Prosecutor Vitali Hrechyshkin. Photo: Court reporter

The men then discuss a birthday party, and Kirill Gorburov says that he does not want to go. However, Kniazev persuades him, saying that he would like to see him there and that everyone in the judiciary considers Horburov «to be their man».

«I will feel bad without you, we will discuss (inaudible) on the HQCJ,» Kniazev tells him.

«Okay, I'll tell Oleh then. Shall I tell him that you want him to come?» asks Horburov.

«I would like him to attend, of course».

«But he doesn't know where yet. The people want me to decide».

«In the judiciary, everyone considers you their man, anyone will listen to you,» says Kniazev.

«I don't want to be like that, it's a strange feeling,» Horburov replies.

During the transfer of the last tranche, which took place on 15 May 2023, Kyrylo Horburov came to the house of Kniazev, who, as it turned out, was ill.

Vsevolod Kniazev asks his friend not to sit close and immediately tells him to put down the bag with the money.

«Do you want me to give you the bag right away?» asks Knyazev.

«No, no. I left it here on purpose,» Gorburov replies.

«When you come back, I'll give it to you. Thank you, my dear. Has he closed with you and Oleh? Is everything all right? So I don't have to worry.»

«Listen, Oleh is dealing with these issues, I don't know how.»

«You understand. It's like I'm here for you. I'm telling you honestly, because we've been working so hard and there's no result. I was purely guided by this. Because that one was much... the conditions were much more interesting. So many judges didn't even understand it. That's why I need him to close with you. Otherwise, I'll do it all over again, really».

«Why didn't many people participate?»

«People, like, I said it would just be smaller. And they, you know, are also counting on something. In general, it could have gone either way. But, of course, he (Zhevago, — note) was more right by law. He will continue to work with Oleh, right?»

After the conversation, Kniazev's mother escorts Horburov to the exit. As the door opens, armed NABU officers burst into the apartment from the entrance and detain the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The defendant stated in court that he could not recognise the conversations and his own voice on the recordings. Photo: Court reporter

However, during the hearing, the defence denied that Vsevolod Kniazev had the bag with the money. Lawyer Oleksandr Hotin said that the bag appeared when NABU detectives and witnesses entered the apartment.

«NABU detectives entered the apartment with the bag and no witnesses, with the money,» said lawyer Oleksandr Hotin.

«They were not empty-handed,» Kniazev added.

«They planted money, and then brought witnesses,» Hotin explained.

Vsevolod Kniazev himself added that he does not even recognise his own voice on these recordings and does not remember such dialogues.

«It's hard to make out on the video which bags were brought in, because at first the search was carried out without witnesses and without video recording (...) I don't recognise those conversations. Perhaps there were some conversations. But I don't recognise my voice either. It seems to me that these circumstances, maybe I don't recognise them or they are distorted.»

«You don't recognise your voice when you were ill?» the presiding judge clarified.

«Yes, when I was ill, that's exactly it. I do not recognise my voice and I do not remember such conversations,» Kniazev replied.

Kniazev's case

In May 2023, the NABU and the SAPO announced that they had uncovered a scheme to obtain undue benefits by the leadership and judges of the Supreme Court. Law enforcers detained the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniazev, and seized $2.7 million.

It was reported that former Mykolaiv City Council deputy and notary Kirill Gorburov is one of the participants in the scheme at the Supreme Court of Ukraine, in which, according to NABU detectives, Chief Justice Vsevolod Knyazev was detained for a bribe of almost $3 million.

The Chief Justice Vsevolod Knyazev and his accomplice, a lawyer, were also served with a notice of suspicion in the bribery case. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has released wiretapping records of Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev in the bribery case.

On 30 January 2024, the court reduced Knyazev's bail from 20 million hryvnias to 18.168 million hryvnias. He was released on bail from the pre-trial detention centre on 31 January. Before that, his bail had already been reduced 6 times. The previous time, on 21 December 2023, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court reduced the bail by 7 million hryvnias to 20 million hryvnias.

On 26 December 2023, the HACC investigating judge, at the request of the NABU detective, agreed by the SAPO prosecutor, limited the defence's time to review the case file. The deadline for familiarisation is 1 March inclusive.

In May 2024, a panel of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court extended the term of office of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev, but exempted him from wearing an electronic bracelet. This was reported by Transparency International Ukraine. Vsevolod Kniazev still has to report to the court prosecutor at the first request, not to leave Ukraine, refrain from communicating with witnesses, and hand over his passports for travelling abroad. At the same time, the HACC panel decided to remove Kniazev's electronic bracelet, as the former Supreme Court chief said that he had no electricity and no connection for six hours at his residence, so the bracelet was ineffective. Kniazev also claims that the bracelet has a negative impact on his health. In July 2024, Vsevolod Kniazev, a former head of the Supreme Court from Mykolaiv, was stopped at a border checkpoint in the village of Solotvyno in Zakarpattia region.

In December 2024, the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court confirmed the decision of the High Council of Justice to dismiss former Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev from his position as a Supreme Court judge.

Also, read about how the case of Judge Vsevolod Kniazev developed, why law enforcement officers call him the organiser of a criminal group, and how the authorities reacted to the case of Ukraine's top corrupt official.

As reported earlier, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC) decided not to broadcast on YouTube the hearing where the defendants in the case against former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev are being interviewed because of the excessive number of obscene statements.

In addition, the judgeasked journalists at a regular meetingnot to publish verbatim large volumes of conversations, the recordings of which continue to be examined in court.