The Kyiv City Council has started collecting signatures for the appointment of Volodymyr Slonchak as secretary. According to sources in the Kyiv City State Administration, Bankova is considering him not only as a technical candidate, but also as a possible acting mayor of Kyiv in the event of Vitaliy Klitschko's removal.
The position of secretary is the second most important in the capital's government: he automatically becomes the acting mayor if the incumbent mayor is removed from office.
However, Slonchak's candidacy raises many questions - in recent years, his name has repeatedly appeared in corruption investigations, criminal proceedings, and journalistic revelations.
Volodymyr Slonchak is a lawyer and former deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration. In April 2020, the police detained him after a conflict on the road - the officer attacked a patrolman who stopped the car because the headlights were not turned on. After the incident, Slonchak was reported as suspicious under Part 2 of Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sent to night house arrest. The next day, Klitschko dismissed him from his post.
In August 2023, the NACP revealed signs of illegal enrichment of a Kyiv City Council deputy in the amount of UAH 8.5 million. Slonchak declared a “gift” from his mother — $300,000, although her official income over two decades could not provide such accumulations. The materials were transferred to the NABU.
Despite the war, Slonchak's declarations indicate active purchases of luxury property. In 2022–2024, the family purchased a Range Rover, an Audi Q7, several real estate properties in Kyiv and the region, a land plot in Ukrainka, and an apartment worth about UAH 3 million.
At the same time, the family received state social benefits, and Bihus.Info journalists recorded the construction of an estate of over 1,000 m², not specified in the declaration.
Slonchak appears in the NABU investigation “Clean City”, which mentioned businessman Denys Komarnytsky. In the audio recordings published by Bihus.Info, according to journalists, the deputy allegedly brings Komarnytsky a bribe of UAH 40 million. Slonchak himself confirms the acquaintance, but denies any connection with work.
In his 2020 declaration, Slonchak did not list his daughter Sofia among his family members, and also provided inaccurate information about his place of residence - he actually lived in the residential complex "Novopecherskie Lypky", although according to his documents he was registered in Vasylkiv.
Despite the scandals, Slonchak remains a member of parliament from the Batkivshchyna party and has the support of influential groups in the Kyiv City Council. His possible appointment to a key position could be a test for Bankova - whether she is willing to turn a blind eye to reputational risks for the sake of political expediency.
