Large-Scale Land Grab Scheme Uncovered in Kyiv City Council

NABU and SAPO have exposed the activities of a criminal organization that included a number of Kyiv City Council officials. The NABU press service reported this on Telegram.

As part of the investigation, 7 members of the criminal organization were detained, and a total of 10 people were suspected. According to Slovo i Dilo, the list of suspects includes Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration Petro Olenich, businessman Denys Komarnytsky , and Head of the Kyiv City Council Standing Committee on Architecture, Urban Planning and Land Relations Mykhailo Terentyev.

Officials engaged in illegal privatization of land for construction. In addition, they tried to take full control of the decision-making procedure for granting land rights.

The criminal scheme involved registering fictitious structures on promising plots, and subsequently obtaining land without bidding. KMR deputies and KCSA officials, some of whom acted in the group or under its influence, received illegal benefits in the form of funds and real estate.

 At the same time, the adoption of such decisions was under the full control of the members of the criminal organization: the “necessary” persons received land rights, while the rest faced artificial obstacles and had to turn to the members of the criminal organization for help.

It is also known that the leader of the group influenced personnel appointments, the budget and officials. According to the NABU press service, the decision-making center "moved from Khreshchatyk, 36" to another building, where issues were "resolved" with the participation of top city officials and other influential people.

Despite the use of special communications and counter-surveillance, detectives managed to uncover the scheme. In 2023-2024, land worth 11.6 million hryvnias was illegally taken from the property of the Kyiv community, and thanks to the actions of law enforcement officers, it was possible to prevent the seizure of six more land plots with a total value of 83.7 million hryvnias.

An attempt to pressure business and an offer of a bribe of $100,000 to a KMR deputy for using influence in favor of the group were also recorded.

As a reminder, law enforcement officers conducted searches at the home of Denys Komarnytsky, former co-chair of the Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc faction in the Kyiv City Council.

We also previously wrote that the SAPO is requesting the confiscation of the assets of the head of the community in the Rivne region.