Head of Ukraine’s asset recovery agency resigns amid major anti-corruption reform
Olena Duma, the head of Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), announced her resignation as a key legislative reform reshapes the agency’s structure and leadership requirements.
ARMA is responsible for locating, recovering, and managing assets seized in criminal investigations, particularly those related to corruption cases. The agency’s reform has been a cornerstone of Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts, backed by Western partners and a crucial condition for EU funding under the Ukraine Facility, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In a statement on ARMA’s Facebook page, Duma said, “My team and I have worked long and hard toward a real transformation of the agency, beginning in 2023. An institution that once had an overwhelmingly negative reputation and poor efficiency has finally started to deliver results.”
She highlighted achievements such as increased transparency, stronger international cooperation, and billions of hryvnias recovered for the state budget during her tenure.
The government must now approve Duma’s resignation. A public competition to select her successor will follow, adhering to new legal standards that emphasize integrity, merit-based hiring, and civil society involvement.
The recently signed legislation, endorsed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 27, introduces:
Stricter qualification and integrity requirements for leadership candidates
Independent external audits
Fixed deadlines for appointing asset managers
Certified professionals legally accountable for mismanagement
This reform is tied to unlocking €600 million ($690 million) in EU funding for Ukraine. Delays in reforms like ARMA’s have previously threatened to reduce the EU’s financial support from €4.5 billion to €3.05 billion.
The resignation and reform come amid heightened scrutiny of Ukraine’s anti-corruption progress, following controversial changes to other key agencies. President Zelensky recently faced domestic protests and international criticism for undermining the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). A new bill restoring their autonomy is set for a parliamentary vote on July 31.
The overhaul of ARMA marks a significant step in Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to strengthen governance and satisfy international partners’ demands for transparency and accountability.
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