The entire amount of bail was paid — UAH 65 million — for the Major General of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Serhiy Duka (a defendant in the “Carthage” case).
This was reported to Babel by the press service of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC).
On November 6, Duka was sent to custody for 60 days with the option of bail. He is charged with participating in a criminal organization through abuse of office.
The investigation believes that Duka covered up the activities of a criminal organization involved in fraudulent call centers, drug trafficking, and other crimes, and helped its leader Andriy Osipov (nicknamed "Criminal") resolve issues in SBU and the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office. In the case materials, Duka is referred as "Akim".
Later, after his arrest, he wrote a letter from the pre-trial detention center, which was published by his lawyer. In the letter, Duka stated that he did not admit his guilt and considered the investigation against him to be revenge on the part of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
A new episode in the “Carthage” case
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, abductions 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 total, there were 12 participants in the case, four of whom were detained and taken into preventive measures.
Among them (besides Duka) are the following:
- Oleksandr Demyanchuk (or “Consultant”) is the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police in the Kyiv region;
- Volodymyr Tsenov (or "Price") is the head of one of the departments of the National Police of Ukraine (on November 6, the entire amount of bail was paid for him — UAH 15 million);
- Vitaliy Rybalko (or "Boxer") is a subordinate of the organizer of the criminal organization, one of the perpetrators of violent crimes.
In the case materials, Duka is referred as "Akim".