Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Poklad has signed decisions to dismiss two high-ranking officials of the special service who became figures in criminal proceedings by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as part of Operation Carthage. According to the investigation, these are active employees whom law enforcement suspects of participating in a criminal scheme that provided unlawful benefits to law enforcement officials. The dismissal amidst an ongoing investigation has served as a public signal that the agency does not intend to protect its employees who came under the scrutiny of anti-corruption bodies.
Full Support for the Investigation and Cooperation with NABU and SAPO
The SBU emphasized that the special service is providing full support and assisting in all necessary procedural actions in the respective criminal proceedings. The head of the agency stated that the Security Service expects a transparent, objective, and impartial investigation and noted the existence of clear and constructive cooperation with the leadership of NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Thus, the agency publicly distances itself from accusations of attempting to protect its own and demonstrates readiness to work within the framework of the law.
International Coordination and Appeal to "The Mexican"
Oleksandr Poklad also reported that he is in contact with colleagues from partner countries' intelligence services so that the investigation of crimes can also be conducted in other jurisdictions. Separately, he commented on the situation regarding one of the suspects in the case, known by the nickname "The Mexican": the head of the SBU invited him to voluntarily arrive in Ukraine and surrender to law enforcement. "Or we will find him ourselves, no matter where he hides. We have the experience. The SBU works and will work only in Ukraine," he emphasized.
The Carthage Scheme: From Video Recordings to the General's Detention
Earlier, NABU released video recordings revealing the operation of a new criminal organization which, according to the investigation, provided unlawful benefits to law enforcement officials. According to investigators, active officials of the SBU, the police, and the Prosecutor General's Office were involved in the scheme. As part of the same Operation Carthage, NABU officers detained General Serhii Duka, the First Deputy Head of the SBU Department for the Protection of National Statehood, which became one of the most high-profile episodes of the investigation.
Context: NABU Leadership Statements on Resistance to the Investigation
Additional context for the investigation is provided by public statements from NABU leadership. Bureau Director Semen Kryvonos described the scale of resistance to the investigation at a briefing: according to him, the suspects knew in advance about upcoming searches, which, in his assessment, indicates leaks of information from state registries that were monitored by unknown individuals. Kryvonos also linked certain aspects of the activities investigated under the operation to a possible sabotage component discussed, according to him, at a meeting with the President of Ukraine. These statements underline that Operation Carthage remains one of the most complex and politically sensitive criminal proceedings in the anti-corruption sphere.
