The head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, Olena Duma, should take responsibility for the shortcomings identified in the agency's work during the audit by the Accounting Chamber. The head should not only recognize the problems, but also offer a concrete plan to solve them. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to UNN by Oleh Shram, a lawyer and former advisor to the Director of the State Bureau of Investigation.
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The Accounting Chamber conducted an audit of ARMA for 2022-2023 and the first half of 2024, which revealed significant problems in the management of seized assets. In particular, the auditors emphasized the following problems: imperfect mechanisms for selecting managers and appraisers of confiscated assets; incomplete data on assets in the register; unregulated relations between ARMA and prosecutors and pre-trial investigation agencies.
Oleh Shram emphasized that it is the head of the agency who should be responsible for the work of the body.
“The head is primarily responsible for the work of the body. If there are shortcomings, then the head should comment on these shortcomings. If they deny these shortcomings, that's one thing. If they agree with them, the management should say what they plan to do to eliminate them and how. This would be logical and correct,” the lawyer emphasized.
According to him, if the Duma ignores the auditors' comments, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada should react and comment on the elimination of the identified shortcomings.
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ARMA Head Olena Duma called the audit “an unprecedented step in ensuring maximum transparency.” She emphasized the record growth of the agency's revenues, the introduction of new management mechanisms, and the improvement of its performance in 2024. At the same time, the head of the agency avoided commenting on the problems identified during the audit.
Transparency International Ukraine , based on the results of its audit , pointed out the need to reform the ARMA. Anti-corruption experts pointed out that the agency's activities currently raise serious concerns, including from international partners.
Earlier, Transparency International Ukraine criticized the ARMA for not meeting European standards. Anti-corruption experts pointed out that quite often there is “contradictory communication from the agency or its officials, combined with populism, violation of the presumption of innocence and lack of understanding of the competence of state bodies.
The Asset Recovery and Management Agency decided not to comment on Transparency International Ukraine's remarks about “contradictory communication” on the part of the agency's officials, and instead spoke about their “achievements” in drafting laws.