SBU General Serhii Duka Held for 60 Days Over 'Carthage' Case as Colleagues Urged to Fund Bail
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court placed SBU General Serhii Duka under 60-day detention, with an alternative bail of 65 million hryvnias, in the “Carthage” case. As Duka faces suspicion of involvement in an alleged criminal organization, SBU employees circulated messages urging colleagues to contribute to his bail.
Key points
- The court placed Serhii Duka under 60-day detention on November 6
- The alternative bail was set at 65 million hryvnias
- SBU employees circulated messages seeking contributions for Duka's bail
- The messages urged donations as quickly as possible, preferably over the weekend
- The appeal included the court’s banking details and Duka’s case number
- NABU and SAP announced suspicions against five participants in the “Carthage” case on November 4
- NABU detectives detained Duka at around 13:00 on November 4
Why it matters
Duka's detention and the bail decision mark major procedural developments in a high-profile corruption and organized-crime investigation involving a senior SBU official. The internal appeal to finance his bail also raises questions about solidarity and institutional reactions within the SBU. Allegations that law-enforcement officials protected illegal businesses give the case broader implications for accountability.
What happened
On November 4, NABU and SAP announced suspicions against five participants in an alleged criminal organization in the “Carthage” case. Duka, an SBU general, was among the suspects, and NABU detectives detained him at around 13:00. On November 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court placed him under 60-day detention, with an alternative bail of 65 million hryvnias. The prosecutor had reportedly requested bail of 100 million hryvnias.
Meanwhile, SBU employees circulated messages asking colleagues to help raise Duka's bail as quickly as possible, preferably over the weekend. The messages included the High Anti-Corruption Court's banking details and the relevant court case number. Duka said in court that he could not afford the proposed bail and did not intend to flee abroad; his defense planned to appeal the decision.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focused on the internal appeal for contributions among SBU personnel while placing it within the procedural context of the “Carthage” investigation. Particular attention was given to the 65-million-hryvnia bail, the urgency of the appeal and the inclusion of the court's banking details and case number.
Background
According to investigators, the group exposed in the “Carthage” case systematically bribed senior law-enforcement officials to enable fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses. Duka was detained alongside National Police officials Volodymyr Tsenov and Oleksandr Demianchuk, and boxing club founder Vitalii Rybalka. SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad dismissed two senior SBU officials involved in the investigation.