The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has chosen a preventive measure for Vitaliy Rybalko, who appears in the materials of the high-profile "Carthage" case under the codename "Boxer." The court remanded him in custody for 60 days without the option of bail. The decision comes against the backdrop of a new wave of details regarding the case, which the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) presented on November 4.
Who is "Boxer"
According to the investigation, two men with the call signs "Pasha" and "Boxer" operated within the structure of the criminal organization. They allegedly carried out instructions from organization participants, and their actions were coordinated by a person nicknamed "Consultant." According to the prosecution, it was "Boxer" and "Pasha" who handled "reprisals against people" on behalf of the criminal group's leadership. The identification of "Boxer" was conducted by journalists from the publication "Mezhi" based on materials from another proceeding — the case of the kidnapping of businessman Andriy Vengrin, in which both men previously appeared. According to them, Vitaliy Rybalko, an athlete from the Zhytomyr region and founder of the "Udar-Korosten" boxing club, is hiding behind this call sign.
Context of the "Carthage" case
The decision regarding Rybalko fits into a broader process that NABU and SAPO are developing within the framework of the "Carthage" case. On November 4, the agencies released new details: according to them, the criminal organization had been "covered" for years by top officials of the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Prosecutor General's Office. The scheme, investigators claim, encompassed fraudulent call centers, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities. In parallel, courts are choosing preventive measures for other figures in the case — in particular, Vladimir Tsenov (codename "Price"), the first deputy head of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police, and the former head of the Prosecutor General's Office department, Ivan Tymoshenko, were taken into custody for 60 days with the possibility of bail.
What is known about the preventive measure
For Vitaliy Rybalko, the court chose detention for 60 days without the right to post bail. Unlike several other figures in the "Carthage" case, no alternative in the form of bail was provided to him. The details of the court hearing and the defense's position are not fully disclosed in the open materials of the primary source.
Significance of the decision
The arrest of "Boxer" demonstrates that the investigation and the courts continue to build the "Carthage" case not only against the top "protectors" but also against local executors who, according to the prosecution, directly implemented the violent elements of the scheme. Further development of events will depend on what evidence is presented during the investigation and how the courts evaluate the connection between the actions of "Boxer," "Pasha," and the "Consultant" who coordinated them.
