Caught. How they apprehended Komarnitsky, the overseer of Kyiv.

On February 6, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) proudly announced a "big catch." Detectives uncovered a criminal group established by former Kyiv City Council deputy Denis Komarnytsky.

The status of ex-deputy is not the primary concern for Komarnytsky. He is better known in broad circles as the "overseer" of the construction and infrastructure sector in the capital. He earned this honorary title due to the influence he wields in resolving land and property issues in Kyiv.

Businessmen in the construction sector and city officials have shared many insights with EP about Komarnytsky's methods and the scale of his operations. They always clarified that all abuses are legally nuanced, conducted discreetly, and through intermediaries, making it impossible to "catch anyone red-handed."

NABU managed to catch the main suspect, officials from the Kyiv City State Administration (KGGA), and even a deputy from the Kyiv City Council. The most disappointing aspect for the group members is that they "got caught" over a rather minor "scheme." What exactly was it?

Who is Denis Komarnytsky

For at least five years—from 2019 to 2024—former politician, businessman, and lawyer Denis Komarnytsky controlled the construction and infrastructure market in Kyiv. This has been repeatedly stated by informed sources among developers, politicians, and KGGA officials.

Komarnytsky effectively acted as the curator of a significant portion of the primary real estate market, with his associated companies winning municipal tenders for the repair and construction of housing and infrastructure projects.

Komarnytsky gained his informal status as the "overseer" in 2019, displacing Vadym Stolar from this position. Stolar lost influence following a reputational scandal tied to the change of power in the country in 2019.

At that time, President's Office head Andriy Bohdan attempted to replace Vitaliy Klitschko as head of the KGGA with someone from the newly elected president's team, while Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk stated that he would gladly dismiss Stolar instead of Klitschko, but Stolar held no formal position.

Komarnytsky was the leader of the "Leonid Chernovetsky Bloc" faction in the Kyiv City Council from 2008 to 2010 and a close ally of the then-mayor, as well as a business partner of Chernovetsky's former son-in-law Vyacheslav Suprunenko.

Suprunenko and Komarnytsky were suspected of armed robbery of a lawyer in 2005. According to investigators, they attempted to seize documents related to property fraud involving Komarnytsky and Suprunenko. In 2011, Komarnytsky was detained, while Suprunenko was put on the wanted list. In 2012, Komarnytsky received a two-year suspended sentence.

How Komarnytsky Assisted Developers and Made Money

What was Komarnytsky's role and function? He provided legal and "conceptual" support for the bureaucratic processes related to the allocation of land plots for construction, the transfer of municipal enterprises for development, and securing the necessary votes from Kyiv City Council deputies to pass decisions in favor of developers. In return, he received a fee or a share in the project.

EP explained this in detail using the example of land near the "Pirogov" museum. According to the text of the "conceptual agreement" (an unofficial memorandum on housing construction with obligations of the parties), partners spent $4 million to obtain Urban Planning Conditions and Restrictions (a key document granting the right to build) for one of the plots. This document is issued by the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the KGGA.

The further approval of the detailed land use plan at a Kyiv City Council session, changing the land's designated purpose from agricultural to "for construction," passing expert evaluations, obtaining construction permits, and commissioning would cost the partners an additional $16 million.

In exchange, Komarnytsky received a 6.6% share in the project, recorded under a proxy. Consequently, all potential future profits from apartment sales in the complex would be shared among partners in the proportions specified in the registry.

Komarnytsky was aided in this work by "his" people in positions within the KGGA and loyal deputies of the Kyiv City Council, one deputy confided off the record. "The Kyiv City Council is a pragmatic body. Deputies vote on land decisions for various reasons. Some are on the payroll of developers, some barter their votes, and some do it for money," the EP source explained.

In a 2021 interview, Klitschko confirmed that he met with Komarnytsky, while assuring that discussions with the ex-ally of Chernovetsky did not pertain to real estate or obtaining construction permits. The mayor added that he had previously discussed this with Stolar as well.

Regarding Komarnytsky's activities in infrastructure construction, a textbook example is the Podil Bridge crossing. In 2017, the city signed a contract for the completion of the bridge with the company "Eco-Stroy-Trade," which, as it later turned out, belongs to Komarnytsky.

At that time, the tender amount was UAH 6 billion. The estimated cost of the construction project increased from UAH 11.251 billion in 2021 to UAH 19.922 billion.

Deputies of the Kyiv City Council either seriously or jokingly recounted to EP that Komarnytsky's team referred to the bridge as the "breadwinner." To support this claim, we cite numerous statements from the prosecutor's office and the Antimonopoly Committee regarding this project:

• collusion during bidding;
• evasion of payment of UAH 9 million in taxes;
• budget losses of UAH 4.5 million;
• theft of UAH 155 million;
• attempted theft of UAH 3 billion;
• misappropriation of UAH 36 million;
• theft of UAH 6 million;
• inflated rental costs for equipment by UAH 104 million;
• inflated sand costs by UAH 6.5 million.

What NABU Discovered

On the evening of February 6, NABU detectives announced suspicions and detained seven participants in the scheme. According to EP sources, Bureau detectives presented suspicions to the deputy mayor Petro Olenych, the head of the permanent commission of the Kyiv City Council on architecture, urban development, and land relations Mikhail Terentyev, and a Kyiv City Council deputy from "Batkivshchyna" Yelena Marchenko.

They were unable to detain Komarnytsky himself. According to EP sources, he is currently abroad. He had the right to leave the country as he is the father of four children.

Detectives also conducted a search at the home of the chairman of the executive committee of the "UDAR of Vitaliy Klitschko" party and a close associate of the mayor Artur Palatny.