On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, Head of ARMA delivered a speech at the international conference “Asset Declarations - unification, digitisation, control” organized by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Republic of Poland. 

The conference brought together representatives of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies from numerous European Union countries, including Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, and others. Over the course of two days, experts from various countries will exchange experiences and best practices, creating new opportunities for cooperation.  

“The anti-corruption infrastructure of Ukraine operates on an international level to recover assets unlawfully transferred abroad. The issue of global corruption requires unity among all anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies worldwide. ARMA is actively advancing international cooperation, synchronizing its efforts with partners. This year alone, six international interagency agreements were signed with foreign colleagues from various countries. We collaborate with 88 countries and 54 international institutions in the field of asset tracing and recovery. I am confident that this conference, held on such a significant day, will further unite us and help establish new effective mechanisms for cooperation,” stated Olena Duma during her speech.

She added that ARMA’s partners include the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN), the Secretariat of the Camden Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN), Europol’s SIENA platform, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and many others.

The central focus of Olena Duma's speech was the interaction among Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies. Head of the National Agency informed international partners about enhanced cooperation with the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP). Specifically, she described the jointly developed mechanism (procedure) for cooperation in finding unjustified assets of declarants abroad. Additionally, Olena Duma highlighted a new procedure for interagency cooperation, which establishes the mechanism for granting the NACP access to ARMA’s Declaration Register.

"Within just four months of such cooperation, we have traced assets belonging to officials totaling over $4 million. These include luxurious houses and apartments, expensive vehicles, and funds," emphasized Head of ARMA. She further noted that in July 2023, the National Agency developed and approved the Procedure for the Sale of Seized Assets Abroad. Currently, ARMA awaits the seizure and transfer of such assets under its management. An essential element of this process is the submission of a request by the Prosecutor General’s Office, within the framework of mutual legal assistance, to legalize such court decisions abroad.