“Analyze the information”: Head of ARMA Duma responded to criticism from the head of the anti-corruption committee Radina

The head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, Olena Duma, reacted to the criticism of the head of the Verkhovna Rada's Anti-Corruption Committee, Anastasia Radina, who had previously revealed ARMA's manipulations regarding the number of assets transferred to management. In response, she called on the deputy to "analyze the information", writes UNN.

Details

Earlier, Anastasia Radina noted that maintaining a constructive dialogue with ARMA is complicated by manipulations. She gave three examples that demonstrate how the agency distorts data about its activities. Radina cited as one of them the case when the Anti-Corruption Committee asked ARMA how many assets they had and how many of them had been transferred to management. The agency reported that there were 69,000 assets in the register, and 36,000 had been transferred to management, i.e. about 47%. However, a detailed analysis revealed that 20,000 of these 36,000 assets were movable property of Mezhyhiria, including bottles of wine, furniture and documents, which have no independent economic value.

ARMA Head Olena Duma, in response, stated that she does not understand why so much attention is paid to the inventory of Mezhyhiria's assets, and added that this approach is standard accounting practice.

"It is a pity that during the war some people are more interested in the spoons and forks of the fugitive ex-president Yanukovych than in critical infrastructure facilities and the results that can be achieved through joint efforts," the head of ARMA was outraged.

In her "signature style", Olena Duma is trying to shift the discussion to criticism of opponents instead of explaining the real effectiveness of ARMA.

"And now think about it, today I named you factories, industrial production, aircraft. How many are there? Only 312 objects of sanatorium and resort direction. Ask yourself the question, do you think that there are no forks, spoons, paintings, cars, pipes, other movable property? That is, one asset, a plant, will contain 50 thousand such requests and this will be reflected in our accounting. Therefore, please analyze the information that is given to you as arguments," she appealed.

However, it is not yet known whether the Anti-Corruption Committee will hear a real explanation regarding the problems with asset accounting at ARMA.

Recall

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 focused on 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 the prosecutor's office and pre-trial investigation bodies.

However, the head of ARMA, Olena Duma, called the audit "an unprecedented step in ensuring maximum transparency." She emphasized the record growth in the agency's revenues, the introduction of new management mechanisms and improved 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 the audit, pointed out the need to reform ARMA. Anti-corruption experts pointed out that the agency's activities currently raise serious concerns, including among international partners.