Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court has remanded Security Service of Ukraine Major General Serhii Duka in custody over a suspected call centre fraud scheme.
The court ordered Duka held for 60 days until 2 January 2027, with bail set at 65 million hryvnias, Ukrainian broadcasters Suspilne and Radio Svoboda reported from the courtroom.
The High Anti-Corruption Court confirmed the measure in a public announcement without naming Duka directly, stating that detention with a 65 million hryvnias bail option had been ordered for the former first deputy head of the SBU's Department for Protection of National Statehood.
The Carthage Investigation
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, known as SAP, subsequently confirmed the detention order. SAP is leading the investigation, codenamed Carthage, alongside detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, or NABU.
The criminal inquiry focuses on allegations that high-ranking Ukrainian officials provided protection rackets for fraudulent call centres operating in the country.
According to investigators, Duka assisted the organizer of the criminal network, an individual known by the moniker Kriminal. The prosecution alleged that the senior security officer used his position to help resolve problems for the syndicate within both the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office.
At the detention hearing, SAP prosecutor Mykola Karas urged the court to impose a significantly higher financial penalty, asking for bail to be set at 100 million hryvnias.
European Support and Anti-Corruption Reforms
The high-profile proceedings highlight the vital role of anti-corruption enforcement in maintaining Ukraine's backing from European partners and advancing systemic domestic reforms.
International allies and European institutions have repeatedly emphasized that transparent governance and vigorous prosecutions of official graft are essential prerequisites for Ukraine's eventual accession to the European Union and the flow of financial assistance.
NABU and SAP were established after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity as specialized, independent institutions tasked with investigating and prosecuting top-tier state corruption. The High Anti-Corruption Court was created in 2019 to ensure that cases brought by anti-corruption detectives are tried by vetted judges rather than through the conventional court system.
Duka's former post placed him near the top of the SBU's Department for Protection of National Statehood, a directorate historically responsible for countering threats to constitutional order and internal security. The Security Service of Ukraine functions as the nation's primary domestic intelligence and security agency.
Fraudulent call centres have expanded significantly across Eastern Europe in recent years, often operating out of rented office spaces to target victims across Europe with fraudulent investment schemes and bank impersonation scams. Law enforcement agencies have repeatedly encountered organized networks relying on corrupt officials in security structures to shield their operations from police raids.
Standoff and Smashed Evidence
During the detention hearing, prosecutor Karas told the court that Duka had actively destroyed potential evidence before his arrest. Karas stated that the former general had used an axe to smash his mobile telephone.
The prosecutor also informed the court that armed individuals had obstructed NABU detectives when they attempted to execute a search warrant.
NABU initially revealed the confrontation on 4 November, reporting that a senior SBU official had allegedly threatened detectives with firearms and refused to grant them entry to a search location. Ukrainian news publication Ukrainska Pravda identified the official involved as Duka.
Following the standoff, SBU Head Poklad dismissed Duka from his post on 4 November.
NABU subsequently announced the disruption of a criminal organization that spanned multiple security bodies, including officials from the SBU, the National Police, and the Prosecutor General's Office. Law enforcement leadership has pledged full cooperation with the anti-corruption investigation.
Closed Hearing and Defence Appeal
The High Anti-Corruption Court decided during the proceedings that the prosecutor's address would be conducted behind closed doors. Arguments by the defence were permitted to proceed partially in open court before attending reporters.
Duka's defence lawyer, Yurii Sukhov, had formally requested a closed hearing, citing security concerns for the proceedings.
Speaking to Radio Svoboda after the ruling was handed down, both Duka and Sukhov stated that they would lodge an appeal against the detention decision.
The defence team stated that Duka does not possess the 65 million hryvnias required to meet the bail condition, meaning the former intelligence official will remain in custody while his lawyers challenge the court's order.
