The SBU has begun raising funds for General Duka's bail
Employees of the central office and regional branches of the Security Service of Ukraine have joined a fundraising effort to raise bail for Major General Serhiy Duka. At the same time, the serviceman’s attorney, Yuriy Sukhov, assured that the donations were voluntary and that no official instructions regarding mandatory participation in the fundraiser had been issued.
Serhiy Duka is suspected of involvement in a criminal organization that was exposed as part of the NABU operation “Carthage.” Earlier, reports appeared in the media claiming that regional branches of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) were allegedly requiring employees to contribute money toward the general’s bail.
Commenting on these reports, Yuriy Sukhov confirmed that the collection is indeed taking place, but called the claims of coercion manipulative.
“In general terms, it’s true, but the details are somewhat misleading,” the attorney said.
According to him, a notice containing bank details for transferring funds was circulated within the agency’s units. However, it did not specify a mandatory contribution amount or a deadline for the transfer.
Sukhov explained that the initiative originated at the SBU’s central headquarters. Subsequently, employees of regional units began joining the fundraising effort, calling on their own initiative to express their desire to support the general.
Separately, the journalist asked the attorney about reports of allegedly set contribution amounts: 50,000 hryvnias for field agents and 150,000 hryvnias for managers.
Yuriy Sukhov replied that he had no precise information about the salary levels of SBU employees, as this information is classified. At the same time, he suggested that for some employees, a contribution of 50,000 hryvnias might be acceptable.
To support his point, the lawyer compared the incomes of SBU employees with the salaries of employees at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
The defense attorney made this statement during a broadcast on the “Butusov.Plus” channel.
As a reminder, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested that SBU General Serhiy Duka, who was detained as part of Operation “Carthage,” be remanded in custody. As an alternative to arrest, prosecutors are proposing bail of 100 million hryvnias.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau released photographs of smashed cell phones, which were likely destroyed during a search by General Serhiy Duka, a suspect in the “Carthage” case.
During a hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court on November 6, Serhiy Duka, a suspect in the “Carthage” case, stated that he is ready to cooperate with the investigation and defend his innocence.
Serhiy Duka, a general in the Security Service of Ukraine, denied the charges in the “Carthage” case during a hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court regarding the selection of a preventive measure against him and called the actions of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) political revenge for last year’s SBU raids on detectives from anti-corruption agencies.
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 to SBU General Serhiy Duka. Separately, Andriy Nebitov, deputy head of the National Police, denied allegations that he “provided protection” for 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.
