KIEV, Feb. 14 - Vasyl Onopenko, the head of the Supreme Court whose family members have recently come under mounting pressure from the Prosecutor General's Office, met President Viktor Yanukovych on Monday, the presidential press service reported.

This comes a week after Onopenko had requested the meeting seeking to deliver "exhaustive information" about his family so that the president could "react accordingly."

The home of Onopenko was recently searched by police as part of the investigation against his youngest daughter, Iryna Onopenko, who had allegedly failed to repay a $50,000 loan in 2008.

Opposition lawmakers said the authorities had been putting pressure on Onopenko in order to force him to step down, and to be able to appoint a Yanukovych loyalist to the post.

The post may become instrumental in the battle for Parliament between pro-Yanukovych party and opposition groups in October 2012, and possibly at the next presidential election in March 2015.

Onopenko did not make any comments after the meeting with Yanukovych.

The presidential administration, however, reported the parties had "discussed further reforms in the judicial system, operation of the Supreme Court and steps to improve the legal system."

Onopenko is known as a strong critic of the reform, which was initiated by Yanukovych last year.

Opposition lawmakers said the reform had reduced independence of courts in Ukraine, while de-facto increasing their dependence on the presidential administration.

The statement from the presidential administration said Onopenko had originally "supported" the reform at a meeting with Yanukovych in August 2010.

The Supreme Court is believed to be the only court institution, or law enfrocemenr authority, that is not yet completely controlled by Yanukovych loyalists.

The Constitutional Court, for example, was reshuffled in September 2010 to give Yanukovych loyalists an overwhelming dominance. This reshuffle, among other things, allowed the court to approve a controversial decision last year that had changed the constitution by boosting powers of Yanukovych.

Meanwhile, a newspaper reported later on Monday that Iryna Onopenko was finally able to repay the loan on Monday, a move that may lead to closing of the investigation against her.

Valeriy Ksionzenko, a Donetsk businessman who originally lent the money to Iryna in 2008, had received the "entire sum" on Monday, and confirmed the "fact of the complete settlement," according to the Zerkalo Nedeli report. (tl/ez)