The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have announced a new suspicion as part of the large-scale operation "Carthage". The suspect is the former head of one of the departments of the Prosecutor General's Office, whom the investigation considers a key participant in the scheme of receiving bribes from fraudulent call centers.

On October 22, the NABU press service reported this. According to sources from Slidstvo.Info in law enforcement agencies, Ivan Tymoshenko, who previously headed the Information Technology Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, received the suspicion.

According to the investigation, Tymoshenko directly contacted representatives of illegal call centers and ensured the systematic receipt of funds from them. In addition, his duties, law enforcement officers claim, included organizing the security of members of the criminal group, ensuring conspiracy, and recruiting new people for unlawful activities.

NABU and SAPO established that the total amount of documented undue benefit within the framework of the investigated scheme exceeds UAH 1 billion. This refers to the aggregate amount of alleged bribes in the case, not the personal income of the new suspect.

The actions of the former official are qualified under Part 3 of Article 255 and Part 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This refers to participation in a criminal organization and aiding in obtaining undue benefit on an especially large scale.

On the evening of October 22, the court chose a measure of restraint for Ivan Tymoshenko in the form of detention for a period of 60 days. As reported by "Glavkom", the court provided for the possibility of bail in the amount of UAH 8 million. The prosecution requested bail at the level of UAH 100 million.

Operation "Carthage" began in September 2026. Then NABU and SAPO announced the exposure of a criminal organization created, according to the investigation, in mid-2025 by one of the heads of structural units of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Members of the group, as law enforcement officers claim, received regular payments from the owners of fraudulent call centers. In return, they allegedly guaranteed non-interference by law enforcement agencies, protection from criminal prosecution, and blocking of investigations.

Victims of such call centers were both citizens of Ukraine and foreigners.

Earlier, investigators reported discovering several ways of laundering alleged criminal proceeds. According to NABU, more than UAH 20 million from the scheme participants were spent on real estate, jewelry, and other expensive property. Over UAH 10 million more, according to the investigation, were placed on bank accounts of close persons under the guise of business income.

In addition, the investigation established facts of transferring assets worth more than UAH 12 million to third parties. Among them was real estate in an apartment complex near the Carpathians.

Journalists from Slidstvo.Info previously established that Ivan Tymoshenko and one of the central figures of the operation, Serhiy Kropyva, worked in the cyber police before the full-scale Russian invasion, and subsequently held positions in the Prosecutor General's Office.

According to the investigation, Kropyva contributed to the appointment of Tymoshenko as head of the IT department of the Prosecutor General's Office. After the materials of operation "Carthage" were made public, Tymoshenko submitted a letter of resignation of his own accord on September 11.

Earlier, "Kurs Ukrayiny" reported on the official's dismissal. At that time, the prosecutor's office emphasized that Tymoshenko did not have the procedural status of a suspect. Now the situation has changed after the official announcement of suspicion.

NABU and SAPO continue investigative actions and identify other persons who could be involved in the activities of the criminal organization.

The guilt of the suspects can only be established by a court conviction that has entered into legal force.