A former deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration tried to appropriate land plots in Kyiv using a ‘toilet scheme,’ says NABU

NABU added that the amount of potential damage to Kyiv’s territorial community exceeds 19.5 million hryvnias.

On February 6, NABU reported that it had launched a large-scale operation called “Clean City” aimed at eliminating corruption in Kyiv’s land and budget sectors. The Anti-Corruption Bureau said it had exposed a criminal organization led by a media-famous former депутат of the Kyiv City Council. At that time, 10 participants in the alleged scheme were notified of suspicion, and seven were detained.

On February 7, searches were conducted on the premises of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA). As the KCSA noted, the investigative actions concerned possible abuses by officials related to the alienation of property belonging to Kyiv’s territorial community.

That same day, the High Anti-Corruption Court chose a preventive measure for Petro Olenych, a deputy head of the KCSA, in the land-corruption case. The court remanded Olenych in custody for two months—until April 6—with the option of posting bail of 15 million hryvnias.

According to journalist Oleh Novykov, the alleged leader of the organization is believed to be Denys Komarnytskyi, a businessman and former co-chair of the Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc faction.

On February 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine put Denys Komarnytskyi on a wanted list; he is suspected of land fraud.

On March 12, Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach reported that Komarnytskyi had left the country.

On March 26, the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police reported that two employees of the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Unit in Zakarpattia Region helped Komarnytskyi illegally leave the country. They have already been dismissed, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has notified them of suspicion. In addition, the head of the territorial unit was dismissed.