Katerina Hunko: SBU Conducts Detention of Customs Official

The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting the detention of Katerina Hunko, deputy director of the Human Resources Department of the State Customs Service of Ukraine. According to journalist Serdych, who cites his own sources, this concerns a case of possible receipt of undue benefit in the amount of 25 thousand dollars. The circumstances of the detention and the official procedural status of the official have not been confirmed in the provided reports.

According to the journalist, SBU officers and attesting witnesses are taking part in the detention. The proceedings, it is claimed, are being investigated under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides liability for accepting an offer, promise, or receipt of an undue benefit by an official. The reports do not provide information about the specific circumstances of the alleged transfer of money, the location of the investigative actions, or the person who may have handed over the funds, media write. Katerina Hunko holds the position of deputy director of the Human Resources Department of the State Customs Service. This unit is part of the agency’s central apparatus and is responsible for managing personnel in the customs system. At the same time, the published information does not clarify whether the alleged offense is related to staffing decisions, appointments, or other actions within Hunko’s official powers. The amount of the alleged undue benefit reported by the journalist is 25 thousand U.S. dollars. There is currently no confirmed information on whether these funds were seized during investigative actions, whether law enforcement recorded the moment of their transfer, or whether the official was served with a written notice of suspicion. These circumstances are important for determining the procedural status of the subject and the further course of the proceedings.

Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine covers the receipt by an official of an undue benefit for performing or failing to perform actions using the authority or official position granted to them. The qualification of the case will depend on the circumstances established by the investigation, in particular the nature of the alleged remuneration, the official’s actions, and the available evidence. The report of a detention itself is not proof of guilt. There are no official comments from the SBU or the State Customs Service regarding the reports of Katerina Hunko’s detention in the materials provided. No information is given about any preventive measure being chosen, the investigation petitioning the court, or any decision to suspend the official from her duties. Further procedural developments in the case will depend on the actions of law enforcement and court decisions. In the absence of official confirmation, the details of the case currently rely on the journalist’s report citing unnamed sources. Establishing the circumstances of the alleged offense requires statements from competent authorities and procedural documents. The presumption of innocence applies until a guilty verdict is reached.