Top Ukraine judge probed for witness tampering

The head of Ukraine's Constitutional Court, Oleksandr Tupytsky, is being investigated for suspected bribery of a witness, prosecutors announced on Monday.

The Prosecutor General's office also asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to suspend Tupytsky for two months after he failed to show up for police questioning.

Tupytsky is accused of influencing a witness through bribery and providing false testimony three times in a case against a company that produces transport equipment in 2018 and 2019, when he served as deputy chairman of the court.

"He influenced the witness in criminal proceedings by bribing him to refuse to testify or to give knowingly false testimony," the press service of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said in a statement on Monday.

Witness tampering carries a potential penalty of six years in prison.

Tupytsky told local media that he had no intention of avoiding judicial proceedings, but that it was illegal to dismiss a Constitutional Court judge.

President Zelenskiy has been in conflict with the Constitutional Court since it struck down key anti-corruption legislation in October, jeopardizing foreign aid loans.

Zelenskiy asked parliament in October to dissolve the court, prompting Tupytsky to accuse the president of trying to orchestrate a "constitutional coup."

Ukraine, one of the poorest countries in Europe, has struggled with corruption, prompting widespread protests calling for crackdowns on graft.

aw/nm AFP, Reuters, Interfax)