The National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Management of Assets (ARMA) has been headed by Olena Duma for over a year now, and all this time the agency's activities have been in the spotlight of journalists and the public. This body, created to manage seized assets, was supposed to be one of the key tools in the fight against corruption in Ukraine. However, recent developments indicate that instead of fighting corruption, ARMA may become a platform for influential politicians, oligarchs and even pro-Russian forces seeking to gain control over the country's strategic assets.
After the scandalous appointment of Olena Duma, the Asset Recovery and Management Agency began to act in a highly non-transparent manner, with key decisions, in particular on the management of large assets, being delayed or selectively implemented . However, the latest facts that UNN journalists have learned open up a new dimension of corruption schemes that may be taking place in ARMA.
Secret meetings with former politicians
According to unofficial information, lawyer and former MP Valeriy Pysarenko regularly visits the ARMA headquarters in Kyiv. At first, these visits may have seemed like ordinary working meetings of a lawyer representing his client. However, according to informed sources who wished to remain anonymous, Valeriy Pysarenko meets only personally with Olena Duma, and their regularity and context give rise to the question of whether there are not much deeper interests behind them
Valeriy Pysarenko is known in political circles as one of the closest associates of Andriy Portnov, former deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Viktor Yanukovych. However, political circles say that over the past few years, Pysarenko and Portnov have been actively working for the interests of influential politicians and oligarchs, and in particular, for former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
The most disturbing thing is that these meetings take place unofficially, outside of public events, and according to our sources, they have one goal - to discuss mechanisms for transferring key seized assets to the management of the ARMA in favor of Yulia Tymoshenko's influence group.
Through regular meetings between Valeriy Pysarenko and Olena Duma, a lobby is likely being created to influence decisions at ARMA, enabling former owners to return seized assets or to take over the largest assets for the "right people." Among them are manufacturing companies, factories and the capital's Gulliver shopping center. The latter has repeatedly been in the spotlight as one of the largest and most expensive assets that ARMA can operate. Therefore, it is not surprising that this object could be a desirable target for Andriy Portnov and Yulia Tymoshenko.
The role of Olena Duma
The appointment of Olena Duma to the position of the Head of the ARMA caused a wave of criticism, and anti-corruption experts have repeatedly emphasized her dubious political connections. In particular, it is known that Duma had contacts with Oleh Kulinich, a former SBU officer accused of treason . Due to the numerous facts of Olena Duma's alleged work for pro-Russian forces, the Cabinet of Ministers has even been asked to dismiss her immediately .
If Olena Duma does indeed hold regular meetings with Valeriy Pysarenko, Andriy Portnov's envoy , this may be evidence that her appointment was not accidental. According to information coming from insiders of UNN, the head of the ARMA plays an intermediary role in the transfer of the largest assets to the management of the structures controlled by Andriy Portnov and Yulia Tymoshenko.
This information raises fears that the Asset Recovery and Management Agency under the management of Olena Duma has lost any independence, and that the seized assets are likely to end up in the hands of their former owners or be transferred to groups associated with Portnov and Tymoshenko.
This situation may undermine the credibility of all anti-corruption agencies operating in the country, as it is clear that ARMA, instead of acting transparently and in the public interest, may become a tool for the personal and political interests of influential individuals.
Valeriy Pysarenko said in a commentary to UNN that he had never been to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, did not know Olena Duma at all, and accused the journalists of being biased.
I've never been there, I don't know where this state institution is located, and I don't even know the head of this institution. So I am surprised that you are asking such questions. I am also a bit of an investigator, do you know who you work for? And I'll tell you - you were given a list of questions and you didn't even send inquiries
In the conversation, he noted that it is difficult for anyone to come to a government agency unnoticed, as information about this must be recorded in the visit log. At the same time, it is worth noting that very often VIP guests come to any body without an appointment and everyone knows about it.
Valeriy Pysarenko himself was definitely aware of what we were asking about and immediately stated that UNN journalists were working "for one businessman." In our opinion, the former MP sounded nervous.
It should also be added that UNN asked not only Valeriy Pysarenko for a comment, but also sent an official request to the head of the ARMA Olena Duma to comment on her meetings with the former MP, but has not yet received a response.
Instead of conclusions
If the situation described is true, it is a clear illustration of how political connections and intrigue can influence the work of state agencies such as ARMA. Will the Agency be used to enrich certain individuals, or will ARMA finally become a transparent and responsible tool in the fight for honesty and legitimacy in asset management? Society needs to know the truth about who really controls key decisions in ARMA and whose interests are behind certain actions of the agency.