A former prosecutor accused the Central Anti-Corruption Court of manipulating the case involving SBU General Duka
Stanislav Bronevitsky, a former prosecutor with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, stated that the Anti-Corruption Action Center had distorted information regarding an alleged bribe paid to SBU General Serhiy Duts. Separately, Andriy Nebitov, deputy head of the National Police, denied allegations that he provided “protection” to the U420 chain of stores, which are mentioned in the materials related to Operation “Carthage.” Both officials claim that the published information does not reflect the full picture.
Former Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Stanislav Bronevitsky criticized a publication by the Anti-Corruption Action Center regarding an alleged bribe of approximately three million dollars paid to SBU General Serhiy Duts. He stated that activists had distorted the information provided by Oleksandr Abakumov, head of the NABU detective unit. According to him, the Anti-Corruption Action Center, citing Abakumov’s statement, reported that Andriy Osipov, known by the nickname “Kriminal,” had given Dutsa four cryptocurrency wallets. The activists linked these funds to a possible bribe for facilitating the lifting of the seizure of “Khimprom’s” assets through the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Bronetskyi called this interpretation “an outright lie and manipulation.” He insists that there is no evidence in the case file confirming that a bribe was handed over. “No one gave anyone a bribe; at least, this is not documented in the case files. Abakumov did not mention this at all during the UP.chat broadcast—anyone can listen to the recording and verify this,” the former prosecutor wrote.
He also drew attention to the events following Osipov’s arrest in July. According to Bronevitsky, the issue of lifting the freeze on assets has still not been resolved. Therefore, in his opinion, there is no basis for claiming a bribe in connection with such a decision.
What Is Stated in the Charges Against the SBU General
Separately, Bronevitsky highlighted the section of the Criminal Code under which Serhiy Dutsa was notified of the charges against him. The official NABU statement dated November 5 refers to Part 3 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It concerns participation in a criminal organization through the abuse of official position.
At the same time, the statement regarding this official makes no reference to Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which establishes liability for accepting an offer, a promise, or receiving an unlawful benefit. It is this article that pertains to bribery.
The former prosecutor emphasizes this distinction while refuting the allegations that money was allegedly transferred to Duts. At the same time, the absence of any mention of Article 368 in a single official statement does not in itself prove that there are no other circumstances in the investigation files.
The National Police denied “protecting” U420
Andriy Nebitov, deputy head of the National Police and chief of the criminal police, expressed his position regarding another part of the “Carthage” operation materials. He criticized how NABU and the SAP presented information about the U420 chain of stores linked to “Khimprom.” According to Nebitov, after NABU and the SAP released the video, the public might have gotten the impression that the National Police was involved in covering up drug trafficking. “From the NABU and SAP video, the public took away the message that ‘the National Police is involved in protecting drug trafficking.’ This is unacceptable,” he stated.
Nebitov explained that the conversations, which discussed the possible bribery of National Police and prosecutor’s office officials to keep the U420 stores open, took place from September 2025 to April 2026. It was during this period that law enforcement officials documented the group’s activities. According to the deputy head of the National Police, the plans discussed by the participants in the conversations were not carried out. Specifically, these plans involved ensuring that merchandise would not be seized from the stores and that the chain’s employees would not be informed of any suspicions.
All 105 U420 stores were shut down
Nebitov also noted that in April, the National Police, in collaboration with the Office of the Prosecutor General, conducted an operation against the U420 chain. According to him, all 105 stores were shut down at that time. Law enforcement agencies publicly disclosed the results of this operation. Specifically, a corresponding announcement appeared on the Office of the Prosecutor General’s official Telegram channel.
Thus, Bronetsky cast doubt on the claim that a bribe was given to SBU General Duts, while Nebitov denied that the National Police provided cover for the U420 network. Both comments pertain to specific incidents being discussed in connection with Operation “Carthage.” Bronevitsky wrote about this on his Telegram channel.
Serhiy Duka, the former first deputy head of the SBU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood—known in the case by the nickname “Akim”—stated that prosecutors from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are dragging out the court proceedings.
As a reminder, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced that they had served notices of suspicion to five members of a criminal organization that was exposed the day before during Operation “Carthage.” Among the suspects are the group’s organizer and high-ranking officials from the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police.
The head of the Office of the President, Kirill Budanov, stated that positions, titles, and powers should not shield anyone from accountability for crimes committed.
Dmytro Lytvyn, the President of Ukraine’s advisor on communications, stated that the case files for “Carthage” do not contain evidence of bribes being paid to Health Minister Viktor Lyashko or former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
Andriy Nebitov, Deputy Head of the National Police of Ukraine and Chief of the Criminal Police, issued a statement following the release of audio recordings in which the suspects discussed possible agreements with the leadership of the National Police. The official emphasized that the mere mention of a name in the suspects’ conversations does not constitute evidence of involvement in criminal activity.
