Expert: Duma uses ARMA for PR and pressure on business

The head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, Olena Duma, continues to use loud statements for PR purposes instead of partnering with business. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to UNN by Ihor Chobitko, a lawyer and former chairman of the Public Council at the ARMA, commenting on the latest statements by the agency's management regarding criminal proceedings against one of the tenderers.

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Recently, Olena Duma reportedthat during the tender for the management of assets of Romerm, Yermom and Yermak Gold, one of the participants several times appealed the actions of ARMA to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. After the auction was completed, ARMA allegedly found false information in the documents of this participant and appealed to the National Police. Thus, the head of the agency found a way to hint to all potential managers that they should not apply to the AMCU, because you could be made a "defendant in criminal proceedings".

According to Ihor Chobitko, instead of building partnerships with business, the ARMA leadership is trying to influence it.

This is not the first such PR from the ARMA leadership, from Olena Duma. I have heard in publications that she addressed the results of the tender and that she will check the tender participants together with the SBU. All of her actions are not aimed at building partnerships with business, but look like direct PR, like forcing business to take or not take certain actions,

The lawyer emphasized that pressure on business is unacceptable.

These actions are not the first, and I think they will not be the last. Because it is the ARMA leadership that is currently acting as a fiscal authority or supervisory body. Their functions do not include such actions

In his opinion, if the managers are trying to get clarification from the AMCU and are being hindered, the actions of the ARMA leadership may be seen as signs of abuse of office, but rather as problems for the business.

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The ARMA has been repeatedly criticized by Transparency International Ukraine for not meeting European standards and for "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 understandably does not want to comment on such statements by anti-corruption activists, but only talks about its "achievements" in drafting laws.