Former senior SBU official Serhiy Duka, suspected of involvement in the “Carthage” case, has said that the investigation against him could be revenge by NABU. He denies his guilt and suggests holding a public discussion with the heads of NABU and SAPO.
This is stated in Dukaʼs open letter from the pre-trial detention center, which was published on Facebook by his lawyer Yuriy Sukhov.
"A week ago I was leading covert operations against the enemy, and today I am in a holding cell. I am not asking you to take it on trust. I demand that my actions be judged by evidence, not by flashy videos, loud headlines, or out-of-context conversations," Duka writes, adding that he has dedicated 26 years to serving Ukraine, the last 5 of which were spent fighting Russian aggression.
Duka notes that intelligence agencies around the world involve people from different backgrounds in their operational work. According to him, contacts with such people alone do not prove participation in a criminal organization.
"I cannot publicly disclose the agency, working methods, and classified operations. Although, the silence of a person who keeps a state secret cannot be proof of his guilt. Ignoring these principles leads to the substitution of operational work with criminal charges," Duka wrote.
The general also declared a conflict of interest in the NABU investigation. According to Duka, the motion to impose a preventive measure on him was prepared by detective Roman Nedov, whose house Duka searched last year as part of other criminal proceedings.
"I was told outright that I would be arrested ʼno less than Maghamedrasulovʼ — their detective who was detained last year — did. Blinded by the thirst for revenge, they are ready to destroy what Ukraine has been building for years: the national security system, agent networks, unique operational developments. In fact, to give the enemy the opportunity to level the results of many years of work by Ukrainian special services," Duka wrote.
Separately, he criticized the videos and audio recordings released by anti-corruption authorities and called for verification of their authenticity, full context, and possible use of artificial intelligence.
The General invited the NABU head Semen Kryvonos and the SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko to participate in an open public discussion with him. He also called on the Verkhovna Rada to consider conflicts between law enforcement agencies and expressed his readiness to testify before the MPs.
At the end of his address, Duka thanked his colleagues for their support and for raising money for his bail. He stated that he would not plead guilty or reveal state secrets for the sake of his own protection.
"I will prove my innocence. I will defend my honor. [...] I donʼt know how long I will spend here., but I am not going to bargain with my conscience, deny my comrades, reveal state secrets for the sake of my own protection, or admit to something I did not do," the general concluded.
NABU and SAPO have not yet publicly commented on Dukaʼs accusations outlined in his open letter.
What is Duka accused of?
Serhiy Duka is a Major General and former Deputy Head of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood of the Security Service of Ukraine.
On November 4, anti-corruption authorities reported that they had uncovered another criminal group as part of Operation “Carthage". According to them, its members were involved in fraudulent call centers, drug trafficking, counterfeiting euros, abduction and beating people to order, and other crimes.
According to the investigation, current high-ranking officials of SBU, the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office, the National Police, and representatives of the criminal environment were involved in the criminal activity. In particular, among the defendants was Duka, who is referred to as "Akim" in the case materials.
The investigation believes that Duka covered up the activities of a criminal organization and helped its leader Andriy Osipov (nicknamed "Criminal") resolve issues in SBU and the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office. He is charged with participation in a criminal organization using his official position.
During the search at Duka, according to representatives of NABU and SAPO, the detectives were threatened with weapons, and the General tried to destroy the phones.
In total, there are 12 participants in the case, four of whom were detained and preventive measures were chosen. In particular, Serhiy Duka was sent to custody for 60 days on November 6 with the alternative of bail of UAH 65 million.
As of the morning of November 10, bail for Duka had only been partially paid, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine told Babel.
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