On November 6, 2026, a court hearing is being held to determine the pre-trial restrictions for Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) General Serhiy Duka, First Deputy Head of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood and a key figure in the high-profile "Carthage" case. During a break in the proceedings, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) prosecutor Mykola Karas told reporters about the circumstances of the general's arrest, which he described as going far beyond a routine search.
Two hours of armed resistance
According to the SAPO prosecutor, detectives were unable to enter the premises where Duka was located for about two hours to conduct investigative actions. Karas stated that they were obstructed by armed individuals: "Armed people chambered rounds, aimed laser sights at NABU officers, and thereby prevented the execution of the investigating judge's search warrant." Thus, according to the prosecution, the investigation's access to the search site was blocked for a significant period of time.
Phones destroyed with an axe
During these two hours, the prosecutor claims, Duka was destroying physical evidence. "During these 2 hours, Duka was destroying physical evidence, including his mobile phones, with an axe," Karas noted. The prosecutor emphasized that this behavior was covered up by, as the defense put it, "some kind of security measures order."
Legal assessment: the priority of court orders
Mykola Karas pointed to a conflict in the application of standards: "This must also be evaluated, as no security measures order states that it takes precedence over an investigating judge's warrant." According to him, citing security measures cannot justify obstructing the execution of a court order for a search.
New criminal proceeding under Article 345 of the Criminal Code
In connection with the described circumstances, the prosecutor reported, a criminal proceeding has been registered with the State Bureau of Investigation under Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — resistance to law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and all circumstances, according to Karas, will be established.
Context of the "Carthage" case and pre-trial measures
Recall that Serhiy Duka is one of the defendants in the scandalous "Carthage" case. Law enforcement officers suspect that the SBU general was "protecting" a criminal group that, among other things, organized the operation of fraudulent call centers. At today's hearing, November 6, the prosecution is requesting Duka be remanded in custody with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 100 million hryvnias.
