Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies send "Clean City" land seizure case to court
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) have referred the "Clean City" case to court, accusing businessman and former Kyiv City Council deputy Denys Komarnytsky and nine others of orchestrating a scheme to illegally seize Kyiv land worth over UAH 70 million during 2023–2024. The investigation alleges Komarnytsky controlled municipal land decisions, while using a so-called "toilet scheme" to bypass auctions. Three people have already been convicted in the case.
Key points
- NABU and SAP sent the "Clean City" case to court alleging illegal seizure of land in Kyiv.
- Businessman Denys Komarnytsky, a former Kyiv City Council deputy, is considered the organizer of the scheme.
- Nine people in addition to Komarnytsky were part of the criminal group; three have already been convicted.
- The plot allegedly targeted Kyiv land worth over UAH 70 million during 2023–2024.
- The "toilet scheme" involved registering primitive structures on commercially attractive plots to obtain land without competitive procedures.
- The investigation was completed in January 2026, after the first searches were conducted at Komarnytsky's premises in early February 2025.
- Komarnytsky reportedly ended up in Austria despite no official record of crossing the Ukrainian border.
Why it matters
The case alleges systematic corruption at the heart of Kyiv's city government, claiming influence over officials of the Kyiv City State Administration (KMDA), Kyiv City Council deputies, and budget allocations. It targets a former elected official accused of exerting de facto control over municipal land decisions in the capital. With land worth over UAH 70 million at stake and the alleged organizer reportedly abroad, the prosecution tests Ukraine's ability to hold powerful figures accountable for municipal corruption.
What happened
NABU and SAP have referred the "Clean City" case to court, charging businessman and former Kyiv City Council deputy Denys Komarnytsky and nine other defendants with organizing a scheme to illegally seize land in Kyiv. The investigation concluded in January 2026, nearly a year after the first searches at Komarnytsky's premises in early February 2025. The case currently has nine accused and three convicted persons. According to investigators, Komarnytsky controlled procedures for Kyiv authorities' decisions on granting land rights, and during 2023–2024 the group planned to seize land plots of the Kyiv territorial community worth over UAH 70 million. The alleged method, dubbed the "toilet scheme," involved registering ownership of small or primitive structures on commercially attractive plots and then applying to the city council for ownership rights to service those structures, bypassing auctions. Investigators also say Komarnytsky had significant influence over processes within the Kyiv City Council and KMDA, including appointments of loyal officials and the allocation of budget funds in the interests of the criminal organization. He reportedly ended up in Austria, although he officially did not cross the Ukrainian border.
Background
The first searches in the case were conducted at the beginning of February 2025 at the home of Komarnytsky, a former Kyiv City Council deputy and businessman. The alleged "toilet scheme" involved registering ownership of primitive structures on commercially attractive plots and then applying for land ownership rights to service those structures, bypassing competitive procedures. Investigators reported that Komarnytsky ended up in Austria despite no official record of him crossing the Ukrainian border.