The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) is set to try a major land-grabbing case involving prominent Kyiv real estate developer Vlada Molchanova and former Member of Parliament Yuriy Ivanyushchenko. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SAPO) have completed their pre-trial investigation into the illegal acquisition and laundering of 18 hectares of state-owned land valued at over 160 million UAH ($4M+).
Conflict Over Stolychnyi Market and the State Cadastre Scheme
The roots of the criminal scheme trace back to the spring of 2021, driven by a corporate conflict over the «Stolychnyi» market—a major wholesale agricultural market operating just outside Kyiv. Aiming to siphon off the market’s assets to controlled entities, the developer conspired with officials from the State Geocadastre of the Kyiv region.
Contrary to established legal procedures, State Geocadastre officials illegally altered data in the State Land Cadastre. This unauthorized edit allowed the agency to seize control of the entire land parcel exceeding 150 hectares, which was subsequently leased to a company controlled by the developer.
«To execute the scheme, the company’s director formally surrendered a portion of the leased land in favor of nine designated proxy individuals. Based on illegal orders from the acting head of the Kyiv Regional State Geocadastre, these individuals unlawfully gained ownership of 18 hectares of state land.»
Following the initial transfer, the 18 hectares were quickly laundered. Through a series of sham transactions, the nine individual plots were resold to three commercial entities linked directly to the developer.
Despite their initial conflict, the developer and the former MP eventually reached a compromise to divide the spoils:
The Informal Deal: Both parties signed an off-the-books memorandum (referred to in investigation materials as an informal agreement or «ponyatika») detailing the joint commercial development and use of the stolen land.
Corporate Integration: By September 2021, a designated proxy of the former MP was officially added to the beneficial owners of the companies holding title to the land.
NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors have finalized the discovery process, giving the defense access to the case materials. The prosecution maintains that the evidence fully corroborates the illegal appropriation of state assets, abuse of office by land officials, and money laundering.
The High Anti-Corruption Court will now evaluate the evidence and determine the guilt of both the organizers and the public officials involved in the scheme.