ARMA needs to conduct an independent audit - anti-corruption experts on improving the agency's efficiency
Kyiv • UNN
Anti-corruption experts emphasize the need for an independent audit of the ARMA to improve the agency's performance. They also call for improving the methodology for selecting the leadership of anti-corruption agencies.
Anti-corruption experts emphasize the need to conduct an independent audit of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency to improve its performance. This is stated in the report of Transparency International Ukraine on Ukraine's achievements in anti-corruption reform for the period from February 2014 to March 2024.
Details
TI pointed out that independent experts will be able to provide an objective assessment of ARMA's work, which will help improve the efficiency of this body.
As noted in the report, the audit should be based on the experience of the first independent audit of the NACP conducted in the summer of 2023. This audit provided recommendations to improve the agency's effectiveness in preventing corruption.
Anti-corruption experts also reminded that the competition for the position of the head of the ARMA received a lot of criticism from the public because the new head of the agency, Olena Duma, “does not meet the requirements of the law.” Therefore, they emphasize the need to improve the methodology and selection criteria for key positions in anti-corruption agencies to avoid similar situations in the future.
Add
Statements about the need for an independent external audit of the ARMA have been made repeatedly. In particular, Transparency International Ukraine's legal advisor Pavlo Demchuk notedthat a full-fledged external audit of the ARMA has never been conducted, and the limited amount of information about the agency's activities may pose corruption risks.
Amid the criticism, ARMA head Olena Duma even made a statement that she had ordered an audit of the agency's activities for 2023 from the Accounting Chamber.
MP Oleksiy Kucherenko believesthat the results of the audit of the Accounting Chamber may be grounds for dismissal of ARMA head Olena Duma.
In addition, all members of the ARMA Public Council have recently resigned. Thus, the ARMA was left without external control at all, and therefore its activities cannot be called transparent.
In general, experts are constantly talking about the non-transparent and ineffective work of the ARMA and its head, Olena Duma. The website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine even published a petition calling for the dismissal of Olena Duma due to her alleged ties to pro-Russian politicians and ineffective management of seized assets.
