The High Anti-Corruption Court set bail at 65 million hryvnias for the former head of an SBU department
On November 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a preventive measure on the former first deputy head of the SBU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood. He was taken into custody, but the court allowed for his release upon posting bail in the amount of 65 million hryvnias.
The decision was issued by an investigating judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday, November 6. The pretrial measure calls for the suspect to be held in custody, with the alternative of posting bail. If bail is posted, the former official will be subject to a number of procedural obligations. The court’s statement did not specify what these obligations are.
The individual in question is the former first deputy head of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood of the Security Service of Ukraine. The court’s statement did not provide any other details of the case, particularly regarding the circumstances of the allegations. At the same time, the imposition of a pretrial measure does not mean that the person’s guilt has already been proven. According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court verdict rendered in accordance with the law. This was reported by .
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 legal proceedings.
Detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau detained General Serhiy Duka, the first deputy head of the SBU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood.
Earlier, during investigative actions by the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS), General Duka (according to other reports, his security detail) threatened detectives with a firearm and prevented them from conducting a search, and on the same day, searches were also conducted at the residence of Anton Kravchuk, head of the SBU’s Main Directorate for Internal Security.
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 had been exposed the day before during Operation “Carthage.” Among the suspects are the group’s organizer, as well as high-ranking officials from the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police.
The head of the Office of the President, Kirilo 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.
