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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Construction Solitaire by MPs: Who Lobbies for the Big Developers’ Interests in the Verkhovna Rada?
Chaotic construction in the capital, investment “bubbles,” and yet another reshuffle of the state architectural and construction control agencies: while Ukraine’s failed reform of the construction sector continues, the market’s major players keep lobbying for their business at the legislative level. Which construction clans are represented on the relevant parliamentary committee, who is connected to whom, and whose interests are being represented? The StopCor team investigated.
Who exactly oversees urban development activities in Ukraine at the legislative level? The Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the IX convocation counted 27 people's deputies as of 22 April. Among them are figures linked to Kyiv’s “shadow overseer” Vadym Stolar, lobbyists for large developers, and even a scandalous deputy listed on the Myrotvorets database.
Klochka is linked to the former head of the permitting procedures department of DABI, Oleksandr Serhiienko, who serves as an assistant to a people’s deputy on a public basis.
It was Serhiienko who authored the notorious register of permits during the Yanukovych era. Journalists recently documented an informal meeting of Serhiienko with former and current officials of the state architectural and construction control bodies. Moreover, the Mercedes Serhiienko arrived in turned out to be the property of a company that provides security services to DABI.
According to insiders, Isayenko is likely a lobbyist for Saga Development’s Andriy Vavrysh and, through JSC Closed Non-diversified Venture Corporate Investment Fund “Knyahynia Yaroslava,” is connected to Perfect Group. In the Rada, Isayenko represents the OPZZH faction—just like Vadym Stolar.
In August 2020 he became one of the initiators of a submission to the Constitutional Court concerning the constitutionality of several provisions of anti-corruption legislation. Recall that on 28 October the CCU published a scandalous decision that annulled liability for false declaration and the electronic declaration system itself.
At the same time, Isayenko himself is a subject of an anti-corruption investigation over tender fraud. He is also accused of discrepancies between his assets and income. In 2019 Mr. Dmytro purchased 4 land plots, and since 2014 he has owned a house in Kozyn of 900 square meters. He owns luxury cars and a yacht.
From JSC Closed Non-diversified Venture Corporate Investment Fund “Knyahynia Yaroslava” the deputy received dividends of 67 million UAH. It is a company from Vadym Stolar’s orbit that lies at the core of Perfect Group, which is currently building the scandalous “Stanford” on Predslavynska. Recall that to date the land’s designated purpose for the construction of “Stanford” has still not been changed.
The committee’s deputy chairwoman is Olena Shuliak.
Ms. Olena is considered close to the Minister of Regional Development and to the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, whose vice president is, again, the committee secretary Dmytro Isayenko.
In addition, the CBU includes the most influential players in Ukraine’s construction industry: Ihor Kushnir (Kyivmiskbud), Ihor Lysov (Liko-Holding), Oleksandr Kharchenko (head of the cooperative Zhytlobud-1 in 2008–2016 years, head and beneficial owner of PrJSC Trust Zhytlobud-1, beneficiary of PrJSC Kharkivelektromontazhkomplekt), Petro Shyliuk (president of Corporation DBK-Zhytlobud). Also on the board of directors is Anna Laievska from Intergal-Bud. The list of companies also includes K.A.N. Development, PJSC Mostobud, CITY ONE DEVELOPMENT, Construction Group Synergia LLC, and others.
It is also notable that the Shuliak family’s group of companies includes the auditing firm Standard, one of whose founders is Kateryna Oleksandrivna Redko. This same woman is the head of Parus Holdings, which belongs to the Stolar family group.
Note that until recently the committee officially included not 27 but 28 people’s deputies. However, today the surname of the odious Tetyana Plachkova has mysteriously disappeared from the list of the parliamentary committee members on the VRU website.
Tetyana Plachkova
Ms. Plachkova once worked at DABI and is the common-law wife of Oleksii Horovyi. The deputy declares two children from a developer, although she did not include the man himself in her declaration. Recall that the Horovyi brothers’ group openly competes for influence in the construction market with another developer clan—Volodymyr Zubyk’s Intergal-Bud.
Ms. Tetyana is known not only for her interests in the construction sphere but also for an openly pro-Russian position. In March 2020 she met in Moscow with Putin’s henchmen together with Medvedchuk, and in January 2021 she created the parliamentary inter-factional association “For Ukrainian Bessarabia,” which experts believe stokes separatist sentiments in the southern region of Ukraine. Plachkova is currently included in the Myrotvorets database as an accomplice of Russian occupiers and a participant in Russia’s propaganda activities against Ukraine.
Furthermore, the woman does not hide her luxurious lifestyle: in 2019 she purchased a 200-square-meter apartment in central Kyiv for 11 million UAH. She also declares a collection of jewelry, watches, fur coats and Louis Vuitton and Hermès bags, while having an official salary of 42,5 thousand hryvnias per month.
According to media reports, the Horovyi–Stolar–Plachkova syndicate uses its influence over DABI not only to legalize its own construction projects built with violations but also to collect a shadow “cash” from developers across the country. Despite the ongoing rivalry among business groups and, as a result, constant personnel rotations in the top management of the under-reformed DABI, people connected to the Horovyi brothers consistently hold not top but significant positions within the state architectural and construction control bodies.
Note that, aside from the obvious lobbyists, the committee also includes deputies whose wealth strangely increased over two years of work in parliament. This may indicate either manipulation of asset declarations or hidden ties with major developers.
stopcor.org
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