Bail posted for SSU general suspected in Carthage case
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court confirmed that bail had been paid for Major General Serhii Duka, while Ukrainska Pravda sources said contributions exceeded the court's required amount.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Bail has been posted for Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) Major General Serhii Duka, a suspect in the Carthage case. The press service of the High Anti-Corruption Court confirmed the payment to Ukrainska Pravda. The court had ordered his detention on 6 November, setting bail at UAH 65 million, equivalent to US$1.4 million.
According to sources cited by Ukrainska Pravda, the collection received 1,612 payments and raised more than the amount required by the court. The report gave no precise figure for the total collected beyond that threshold. The court's confirmation concerned the posting of bail, while the details about the contributions came from the outlet's sources.
The payment follows earlier reporting about efforts to collect money from SSU personnel. On 7 November, Ukrainska Pravda reported that a message encouraging staff to contribute to Duka's bail was circulating within the service. Sources subsequently told the outlet that regional SSU officers were being asked to transfer money for the same purpose.
Duka, who is suspected of involvement in a criminal organisation, challenged the allegations in an open letter written from the pre-trial detention centre. He called for his conduct to be assessed on the basis of evidence rather than "loud headlines" and accused the anti-corruption bodies of seeking "revenge".
The investigation became public in the account provided by the outlet through procedural steps taken on 4 November. That day, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) served notices of suspicion on five people, including Duka, in connection with the Carthage case.
Investigators allege that the five belonged to a criminal organisation that regularly paid bribes to senior law enforcement officials. According to their account, the payments were intended to secure officials' willingness to overlook scam call centres and other illegal businesses.
Oleksandr Abakumov, who heads the NABU detective unit, also described an alleged confrontation during a search of Duka's property. He said Duka threatened NABU detectives with a gun and used a hammer to smash equipment. Abakumov said officers from the SSU's Special Group Alpha attempted to get Duka out.
When the High Anti-Corruption Court considered a pre-trial restriction for Duka on 6 November, journalists were excluded from the courtroom. The court issued its custody decision and set the bail amount later that day.
