The Asset Recovery and Management Agency was quick to deny the visits of former MP Valeriy Pysarenko, but forgot to mention that their headquarters can be entered through four more “back” entrances and two fire escapes. This was reported in an exclusive commentary to UNN by a former ARMA employee who wished to remain anonymous.
The day before, UNN published an article about possible backroom deals taking place in the ARMA under the leadership of Olena Duma. According to informed sources, a close associate of the former deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Viktor Yanukovych, Andriy Portnov, lawyer and former MP Valeriy Pysarenko, regularly comes to the ARMA headquarters in Kyiv to meet personally with Olena Duma. The purpose of his visit is allegedly to discuss the transfer of large seized assets in favor of certain influential people, including Yulia Tymoshenko. Among these assets was, for example, the Gulliver shopping center in Kyiv.
Immediately after the publication of this material, the ARMA was quick to disassociate itself from these visits . They stated that there were no visitors with the name Valeriy Pysarenko in the log, and that Olena Duma was “not familiar” with the former MP at all.
There are at least five entrances to ARMA's premises with separate doors and stairwells. Only one entrance has a guard and a visitor log. The other four entrances are opened with keys by ARMA employees and anyone can enter the premises unnoticed, bring in and take out anything... There are also two fire escapes through which you can enter through the window, but I don't think that the Duma, having four back entrances, will take guests up the fire escape
In addition, he noted that journalists have repeatedly recorded people entering ARMA premises through “back doors” who would like their visits to go unnoticed.
If visitors can get to ARMA through several “recorded” entrances and remain outside of any control, how transparent can the asset management processes that take place behind closed doors be considered?