On November 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a measure of restraint on former First Deputy Head of the SBU Department for the Protection of National Statehood Serhiy Duka, who is a suspect in the Carthage case. The court ordered him to be taken into custody with the possibility of posting bail of 65 million hryvnias.
This was reported by the HACC press service. Details of the ruling are reported by Suspilne citing its correspondent in the courtroom.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested that Duka be arrested with an alternative bail of 100 million hryvnias. The court partially granted the prosecution's motion, setting a smaller amount.
If bail is posted, the suspect will be obligated to appear when summoned by investigators, prosecutors, and the court, not to leave Kyiv without permission, wear an electronic bracelet, and refrain from communicating with certain individuals.
Among those with whom Duka is prohibited from contacting are former SBU head Vasyl Malyuk, current head of the security service Oleksandr Poklad, acting head of the National Police Maksym Tsutskiridze, and other persons designated by the court.
The suspect's lawyer Yuriy Sukhov stated that the defense intends to appeal the ruling. According to him, the bail amount set is excessive, and the court's decision was made under public pressure.
Earlier, Duka himself stated that he does not have the funds to pay the bail of 100 million hryvnias sought by the prosecution. He also asserted that he has no intention of evading the investigation and is ready to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.
The court hearing was accompanied by procedural disputes. Journalists were initially not allowed into the courtroom where the motion was being considered. Later, the judge ordered that part of the hearing be held in closed session.
SAPO prosecutor Mykola Karas filed a motion to recuse Judge Volodymyr Voronko, but another HACC investigating judge rejected the motion. After that, the consideration of the measure of restraint continued.
Serhiy Duka appears in NABU investigation materials under the pseudonym “Akim”. According to investigators, he assisted participants of the alleged criminal organization in resolving matters with the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office.
As part of the Carthage operation, NABU and SAPO are investigating the activities of a group whose participants, according to law enforcement, systematically paid bribes to high-ranking officials in exchange for covering up fraudulent call centers, drug trafficking, and other illegal schemes.
On November 4, anti-corruption agencies announced the exposure of new members of the organization, including representatives of the SBU and the National Police.
Currently, Duka has been removed from his leadership position but remains employed by the SBU. His guilt in the alleged crimes has not been established by a court.
