Akim, Price, Boxer, and Criminal: Ukraine’s latest wiretaps read like a mob movie, with real officials in the cast
A security service general, a senior police officer, and an alleged enforcer are among five suspects, and judges have already ordered two of them held while the general still waits for his ruling.
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has charged five individuals as part of its Carthage case, according to the bureau. These charges include running or shielding scam call centers, drug sales, and a fake-euro workshop. Two suspects have already been ruled on by judges, but the most senior suspect, a security service general, remains at large.
As Ukraine continues to fight against Russia's invasion, Brussels has linked Ukraine's EU membership talks to reforms, including the establishment of independent anti-corruption agencies, a condition that watchdogs have flagged as being under strain.
The investigation now extends to police and the security service meant to prevent such corruption. On November 4, NABU detectives detained Serhii Duka, a major general in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He is alleged to be the person known as "Akim" in their wiretaps, who allegedly assisted the group with issues within the SBU, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the police. Duka was held under Article 208, which allows for detention without a prior court order.
Investigators found Duka at a cottage in Roslavychi, Kyiv Oblast, owned by relatives of a business partner of a relative with ties to Russia. On the same day, SBU head Oleksandr Poklad announced that he had dismissed two senior officials involved in the case. The Anti-Corruption Action Center, a Kyiv-based watchdog, has labeled Duka as a key figure in the July 2025 attack on NABU, during which the SBU searched its detectives.
The remaining four suspects are Andrii Osipov, known as Kryminal, Vitalii Rybalka, referred to as Boxer, Volodymyr Tsenov, known as Price, and Oleksandr Demianchuk, called Consultant. Their statuses were reported as follows: Osipov was ordered to remain in custody until his next court appearance on November 6, Rybalka was held for 60 days without bail, Tsenov was ordered to post UAH 15 million ($330,000) bail, and Demianchuk's status remained unreported.
Additionally, detectives conducted a search at the Kyiv Oblast police chief's office but did not charge him.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
