Investigation by “Sledstvo
info": Komarnitskyi and his wife in Kyiv engaged in housing transactions on a scale that raises eyebrows Journalists from "Sledstvo.info" have uncovered a large-scale picture of the financial activities of businessman and former politician Denis Komarnitskyi in their latest investigation. It was revealed that between 2016 and 2018, through shell companies and fictitious real estate transactions, they managed to acquire and rapidly resell over 110 apartments in Kyiv, raising questions about the origins of their wealth and their true intentions. It is worth noting that Komarnitskyi is not just a businessman but also a person suspected of involvement in corruption schemes related to land allocation in the capital for development purposes. This investigative wave is preceded by details of his activities in the residential real estate sector. According to sources from "Sledstvo.info," a particularly interesting fact is that the apartments declared may have actually served as a form of "settlement" or "payment" for services connected to corruption schemes. The journalists established that most of the couple’s assets are concentrated in several residential complexes in Kyiv. Specifically, in the "Comfort Town" residential area on the left bank of the city, 52 apartments are registered as their property. Additionally, another 48 apartments are located in the Central Park residential complex near the Lybidska metro station. Furthermore, in Tetris Hall — one of the popular residential complexes in the city center — 10 apartments purchased by Irina Komarnitska were also registered in her name. Analyzing official extracts from the State Register of Real Rights, the investigation found that these properties were quickly resold — often within just a few days or weeks, with each apartment potentially yielding significant profit. Estimates suggest that the total “golden profit” could reach up to 440 million hryvnias, which is staggering for such short-term business activity. Most of these buying and selling activities occurred during 2016-2018, after which the scale of such transactions significantly declined or ceased altogether. Experts note that during this period, the Komarnitskyi couple actively used real estate as a tool for money laundering, with all three complexes — "Comfort Town," Central Park, and Tetris Hall — belonging to the company KAN Development. The founder of KAN Development is Ihor Nikonu, who served as the first deputy head of Kyiv City State Administration in 2014-2015 under Vitali Klitschko’s team. This adds another layer of complexity to Komarnitskyi’s persona and his activities. In an interview, Irina Komarnitska denied any connection of the real estate holdings to corruption schemes, describing the apartment sales as “ordinary business.” She emphasized that there is nothing illegal in her activities and that all transactions are conducted in accordance with the law. However, she declined to specify the nature of her business idea or what specifically motivates her to buy and quickly resell such a large number of apartments. This leaves room for further speculation and interpretations regarding the true goals of the couple’s activities. Background of the investigation gains momentum As reported on February 6, 2025, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office launched extensive investigative actions against Denis Komarnitskyi. He was implicated during Operation "Clean City," aimed at exposing criminal schemes involving Kyiv city officials and their associates engaged in land corruption schemes. As part of this case, several high-ranking officials were detained, including Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Petro Olenych and chief land commissioner Mykhailo Terentiev. The scope of the investigative measures and arrests indicate the seriousness of the case and the authorities’ ability to make progress in uncovering the extent of the corruption system within Kyiv’s municipal authorities. Notably, preventive detention measures with the possibility of bail — 15 million and 20 million hryvnias respectively — were imposed on Olenych and Terentiev. Meanwhile, on February 10, information emerged that Denis Komarnitskyi was attempting to leave Ukraine, prompting law enforcement to intensify their search for his whereabouts. Subsequently, "Ukrainska Pravda" reported that Komarnitskyi managed to leave the country, causing additional resonance and raising questions about interference in the investigation. According to sources, investigations and special operational measures have also been initiated in locations outside Ukraine involving the businessman and his team. Findings from the investigation confirm that Komarnitskyi’s real estate activities are only the tip of the iceberg of large-scale corruption schemes in Kyiv. Identifying and holding accountable all involved remains a pressing legal and political task for Ukrainian law enforcement. At the same time, questions arise regarding the level of oversight over construction activities and land distribution, as well as mechanisms for detecting similar schemes in the future. We will continue monitoring the developments of this case and new details in the investigation.