SBU Major General Serhii Duka said that during the defense of Kyiv in 2022, he and his comrades-in-arms carried out operational and combat missions, while representatives of NABU and SAPO, who are currently involved in his criminal prosecution, were abroad and in western Ukraine, UNN correspondent reports.
"During the full-scale war and the defense of Kyiv, I headed the TOG and, together with my team, carried out operational and combat missions, while Mr. Abakumov was in Poland, and Mr. Niedov and Mr. Karas, who fought like a lion in court, were in Lviv and, for some reason, returned (to Kyiv — Ed.) only in mid-April 2022. So what are we talking about—who is defending the country?" Serhii Duka said while speaking with journalists after his release from the detention center.
SBU Major General Serhii Duka
This refers to the head of the NABU detectives unit, Oleksandr Abakumov, who appears in films about investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and publicly comments on criminal cases.
In addition, the major general mentioned Roman Niedov, who prepared the motion to impose a preventive measure on him and whose premises Duka had previously searched. At the time, an investigation was underway into the alleged cooperation of another NABU detective, Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, with Russia.
Duka also spoke about SAPO Deputy Head of Department Mykola Karas, who represented the prosecution in court in his case.
To recap
On November 4, NABU and SAPO announced the exposure of an alleged criminal organization whose members are suspected of systematically providing improper benefits to senior law enforcement officials in exchange for unhindered operation of fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses.
One of the defendants in Operation "Carthage" was SBU Major General Serhii Duka. He is charged with participation in a criminal organization. The general himself denies his guilt.
On November 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a preventive measure on Serhii Duka in the form of detention for a period of 60 days, with the alternative of posting bail in the amount of UAH 65 million. Prosecutors from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office insisted on a significantly higher amount—UAH 100 million.
During the court hearing, the major general himself stated that he did not have the ability to pay such bail independently and denied intending to hide from the investigation.
After the court's decision, SBU personnel began collecting funds to support the major general. On November 13, the required bail amount was collected, and Serhii Duka was released from the detention center. The day before, SBU personnel defending Ukraine's independence on the front also expressed their support for Serhii Duka. They recorded a video address to the general, in which they said that they had joined the bail fundraising effort directly from the front line.
Earlier, lawyer Yurii Sukhov published Serhii Duka's open letter from the detention center. In the address, the general said that he had devoted 26 years to serving Ukraine, a significant portion of which he spent organizing and conducting special operations.
In addition, Duka explained that his contacts with individuals from the criminal milieu were related to carrying out operational tasks, rather than participation in a criminal organization. The general also stated that he saw the actions of certain representatives of anti-corruption agencies as an attempt to settle personal scores. He called for his activities to be assessed on the basis of evidence, rather than sensational headlines.