This week, the Verkhovna Rada plans to consider a draft resolution that blocked the signing of the bill on the reform of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency. It is expected that the parliament will consider the document, submitted by deputies from the Batkivshchyna party, already on Thursday and unblock the process of ARMA's renewal, writes UNN.
Details
On June 18, the Parliament, with 253 votes, supported in its entirety bill No. 12374-d on amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the National Agency of Ukraine for Identification, Tracing and Management of Assets obtained from corruption and other crimes, and the improvement of asset management mechanisms. The document must be signed by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, and then by the President.
However, a few days later, a draft resolution from the Batkivshchyna party deputies, led by Yulia Tymoshenko, appeared on the Verkhovna Rada website to cancel the Rada's decision to adopt the bill. This blocked the signing of the document by the Chairman of the Rada and the President - at least until its consideration.
Bill No. 12374-d is one of the key requirements for receiving the next tranche of financial assistance within the EU Ukraine Facility program and was supposed to be adopted before the end of Q1 2025.
The document, in particular, improves the procedures for competitive selection of the agency's head, the procedure for independent external audit of ARMA, and also introduces transparent and understandable procedures for selecting managers of arrested assets. It was supported by the relevant anti-corruption committee, and by public activists, and by international partners.
The main public opponent of the relevant document was only the current head of ARMA, Olena Duma. For several months in a row, she sabotaged the bill, probably due to fears of losing her position.
However, against the backdrop of scandals surrounding ARMA's leadership, including the purchase of a top-spec car and silence regarding a possible conflict of interest involving Deputy Katamadze, the public demand for agency reform is growing.
If the Rada rejects the Batkivshchyna resolution, the President will be able to sign the law and launch the reform. The coming days will show whether the parliament is ready to put an end to this protracted story and finally launch real changes in ARMA.