What results did the Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption of the Kyiv City State Administration achieve last year, and how effectively has it started its work in 2025?
Vitaliy Klitschko has been leading Kyiv since 2015. Let’s recall his promises made in the election program:
“An urgent issue is the eradication of corruption that permeates the city government. Instead of a model of ‘total plundering,’ we will create a systematic model of ‘professional management’... We will abolish the corrupt distribution of communal property and land...”
3 It would seem that during this time, Vitaliy Volodymyrovych's team should have eradicated the ‘total plundering’ model. This has not happened (or perhaps they did not want it to?). Because if that were the case, why would the KMDA establish a Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption in 2023, spending budgetary funds on its maintenance and activities?
The editorial team of Kashtan NEWS sent an information request to the KMDA, asking them to respond to a series of specific questions.
- What corruption risks were identified by the Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption of the KMDA in the activities of the executive body of the Kyiv City Council (KMDA) in 2024? What specific measures were taken to eliminate them?
- How many reports of possible corruption or corruption-related offenses, or other violations of the law, did the Department receive in 2024? What areas did these facts pertain to? How many of these reports were confirmed? What was the Department's specific response?
- In what official investigations aimed at identifying the causes and conditions that led to corruption or corruption-related offenses did the Department's employees participate in 2024?
We talk about one thing, and he talks about another
The editorial team received a response from the Department's director, Oleg Tymoshenko. He reported that “by the order of the head of the Kyiv Military Administration dated June 28, 2024, No. 622, the ‘Anti-Corruption Program in the Activities of the Kyiv City Military Administration for 2024-2026’ was approved, which identifies corruption risks, measures to address these risks, and the stages of their implementation. (Last year, the KMVA was headed by General Serhiy Popko, – ed.). The Anti-Corruption Program is available online on the official Kyiv portal at http://surl.li/babyhm.
In addition, Tymoshenko added a brief sentence:
4 “Information regarding the Department's activities can be found on the official website of the Department at https://dpzvk.kyivcity.gov.ua.”
It turns out to be like the saying: we talk about one thing, and he talks about another. Of course, we are aware of the Anti-Corruption Program and that there is a Department website. However, we posed a series of clear questions, the answers to which are not contained in the mentioned Program, as it does not pertain to the results of current operations. It was also surprising that instead of answers, we were offered to delve into the departmental website.
How should we describe this kind of “information” for journalists? Shouldn’t publicity, transparency, and open communication with the media be at the forefront of such an important KMDA unit?
The next day, the Department sent an additional letter to the editorial team. It stated that “an assessment of corruption risks has begun” and a “working group” has been established for this purpose. It also mentioned that the Department “involved representatives of the public in the working group to assess corruption risks, which contributed to the transparency and effectiveness of the process.” We were also reminded about the “Anti-Corruption Program of the Kyiv City Military Administration for 2024-2026,” which identifies 46 corruption risks.
From this letter, we learned:
“In 2024, the Department received 336 citizen appeals, which were reviewed... The appeals concerned the following areas: healthcare, education, communal enterprises, and construction. The Department's specialists participated in seven official investigations concerning officials.”
But are there answers to the editorial team's direct questions, particularly regarding the Department's response to reports of possible corruption? A banal reply.
5 The infamous ‘model’ of corruption hasn’t disappeared
Does Oleg Tymoshenko and his team lack the facts to demonstrate the effectiveness of this structure, which is funded from the budget? Or has the ‘total plundering’ model indeed vanished in the city?
As noted by the Department of Internal Financial Control and Audit of the KMDA, in the first half of 2024, 243 criminal proceedings were registered. There were 92 notifications of suspicion announced, and for 40 criminal proceedings, indictments were sent to court.
As we can see, the infamous ‘model’ hasn’t gone anywhere.
Let’s look at the statistical data from the city prosecutor’s office. In the first half of 2024, the amount of damages in completed criminal proceedings amounts to 554 million hryvnias. In 2023, materials from 80 criminal proceedings concerning 97 defendants were submitted to the court, among which were 49 officials from the KMDA and communal enterprises (45 of them were management staff). The budget suffered damages amounting to 510 million hryvnias.
Thus, the workload for those fighting corruption in the capital is enormous. Yet, for some reason, Oleg Tymoshenko’s unit, in our opinion, cannot boast of any significant exposures of those involved in scams, siphoning off budget funds, or pocketing huge sums from tender manipulations. The ‘small fry’ mostly get caught. And if anti-corruption activists did take on materials regarding a significant case, such instances were very few. For example, the Dnipro District Administration took into account the recommendations of the Department and reduced the contract price for the construction of a shelter at the NVC “Syzirya” by over 4.6 million hryvnias.
6 Mr. Tymoshenko and his subordinates should evidently focus on the activities of those structures against which there are public grievances. In particular, the Kyiv Investment Agency should work more effectively and create better conditions for investors (as Klitschko mentioned).
The KMDA Commission for Analyzing the Financial and Economic Activities of Communal Enterprises noted shortcomings in the operations of “Kyivtransparkservice,” the transport enterprise “KATP No. 273904,” as well as KP “Avtotransportnyk” for the first half of 2024. These should also be addressed by Tymoshenko’s Department.
By the way, regarding “Kyivtransparkservice.” Back in October 2024, due to the lack of funds entering the city budget, the Department initiated an inventory of parking lots assigned to “Kyivtransparkservice” and the creation of a working group. They planned to involve specialists from the city administration for the inspection. This initiative was loudly announced, with media coverage. But why haven’t we heard about the results of the inspection? What has the working group produced? Nothing to boast about? Or are the results being kept under wraps?
7 Lecturers from the KMDA
However, the Department's leadership frequently reports that it conducts training for civil servants on the fundamentals of anti-corruption legislation. It gives the impression that the structure led by Oleg Tymoshenko has transformed into an educational institution. Let us remind you that the name of the Department includes the words “detection of corruption.”
Provide specific examples of “detection of corruption,” Mr. Tymoshenko! It seems that his team is taking the easy route: reading lectures, conducting seminars, training, etc.? But civil servants are already obligated to know the basic principles of legislation without these lectures! For instance, during lectures, the Department's specialists emphasize that “every civil servant is responsible for adhering to integrity and anti-corruption policy.” Wow! What a revelation!
In 2024, they reported conducting 23 training events. In total, over 500 individuals attended these “lessons.” To ensure a high level of preparation for participants, they also involved leading experts: lecturers from the National Academy of Internal Affairs, representatives from the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption, and the international organization Transparency International.
Braginsky and other millionaires are beyond reach
Has the Department ever checked the declaration of the shadow millionaire, former director of the capital metro, Braginsky, who is currently wanted and whom Mayor Klitschko said “pulled rabbits out of a hat”? Unlikely. Perhaps Oleg Tymoshenko is interested in Braginsky's financial dealings?
8 Has Tymoshenko not heard of the large-scale abuses during the construction of the Pod