SBU Major General Serhii Duka left pretrial detention on 13 November after the UAH 65 million bail set in the Carthage case was paid. That changes his custodial measure, not the substance of the case: release on bail is neither an acquittal nor an end to the investigation.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, dozens of people in uniform and balaclavas, including members of the Alpha special unit, gathered outside the detention facility. Duka thanked security-service staff whom he said had raised the bail money, declared his innocence and called the case retaliation by NABU. His lawyer, Yurii Sukhov, said no SBU staff had been compelled to contribute.
Those are the positions of the suspect and his defence. The supplied material does not independently document the full origin of the money, who made the payments, or whether all of the 1,612 reported payments were voluntary.
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have announced suspicions against five alleged members of a criminal organisation, including Duka. Investigators allege that the group arranged systematic bribes to senior law-enforcement officials so fraudulent call centres and other illegal businesses could operate without obstruction. That is the investigative case, not a judicial finding of guilt.
On 6 November, the High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Duka held in custody with the UAH 65 million bail alternative. His lawyer said an appeal over the preventive measure is scheduled for 26 November. Separately, the court restricted access to information about an SBU warning of a possible terrorist threat during a hearing in the case, citing rules on official-use information.
The public release of a general from detention, and the visible show of support around it, may add political noise to the case. The relevant test for every side remains the evidence, the court’s procedural decisions and eventual consideration of the allegations on their merits, rather than the spectacle of release.
Sources
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-13
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-13
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-13