Prosecutors Seek $2.2M Bail for SBU General in NABU Case

Ukrainian prosecutors requested detention with Hr. 100 million ($2.2 million) bail for State Security Service (SBU) Major General Serhiy Duka on Friday, Nov. 6, as new court proceedings and investigative disclosures emerged in a criminal case involving senior security and police officials.The prosecutor confirmed the request to journalists outside the High Anti-Corruption Court, Ukrinform reported. The amount sought by prosecutors had not been confirmed as a court decision in the latest available reporting.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“We have requested detention with an alternative of bail of 100 million hryvnias,” the prosecutor said.Duka, the former first deputy head of the SBU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood, is suspected of participating in a criminal organization investigated under Operation Carthage.Police official’s bail is paidSeparately, the court confirmed that Hr. 15 million ($330,000) in bail had been deposited for Volodymyr Tsenov, first deputy head of the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Department.The court ordered his detention with the option of bail on Nov. 5. Its press service confirmed the payment to Ukrainska Pravda on Nov. 6, but that confirmation did not establish whether he had already been released.Another suspect, Kyiv regional police official Oleksandr Demianchuk, has been remanded without bail, according to courtroom reporting. Investigators allege he was involved in counterfeit currency production and assisted a group implicated in torture. Other Topics of Interest Nate Vance: ‘One Thing You Can’t Buy Is Courage’ The US vice president’s cousin has been fighting for the Ukrainian cause since the early days of the full-scale invasion. NABU confirms searching Rubel’s homeNational Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Detective-unit Chief Oleksandr Abakumov confirmed that investigators searched the home of Kyiv regional police chief Andriy Rubel, moving the account beyond the anonymously sourced reports that first disclosed the raid.However, Rubel had not been served with a formal notice of suspicion, Abakumov said.The detective said investigators were examining actions that might have allowed criminal activity to go unnoticed. He did not announce charges against Rubel or identify him as one of the five suspects previously named in the case.The search of Rubel’s home was first reported after the Nov. 4 raids. NABU’s subsequent confirmation of the search also established that Rubel had not been formally notified of suspicion at the time of Abakumov’s statement.Detectives describe destroyed phones and an armed confrontationAbakumov also provided new details about the search at Duka’s country house, alleging that the general threatened detectives with a pistol and destroyed potential evidence.According to the detective, Duka smashed two phones and a hard drive with a hammer. Abakumov also alleged that personnel from the SBU’s Alpha special forces unit attempted to evacuate him.Prosecutors said armed personnel obstructed the court-authorized search for about two hours. A separate investigation into the confrontation is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, according to the prosecutor.Duka’s detention hearing was partly closed to the public. Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing informed sources, that the SBU had requested a closed hearing because of a possible terrorist threat. Prosecutors subsequently sought the judge’s recusal.The case concerns alleged protection for criminal businessesThe developments follow raids on senior law enforcement officials on Nov. 4 as part of an investigation into alleged protection for fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses.NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) say the suspected organization bribed officials to shield its activities. Investigators also allege involvement in drug trafficking, counterfeiting, kidnappings and violence.Five people have been notified of suspicion, including Duka, Tsenov and Demianchuk. The allegations remain subject to investigation and court proceedings. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.