International Experts Do Not Support Dubovyk in the ARMA Head Competition

The selection commission for the Head of ARMA voted twice on Viktor Dubovyk’s candidacy — and on both occasions, four members voted in favor, while two voted against.

At the same time, under the law, a decision is considered adopted if it receives the support of at least four commission members, including at least two members nominated by international partners. This requirement proved decisive.

Why the international members voted against

Commission member Rita Simoes clearly articulated the position, stating in particular that integrity is not merely the absence of wrongdoing, but also the confidence that a person will withstand public scrutiny in the future. In her view, that confidence was lacking. The candidate’s explanations regarding the origin of his assets amounted largely to claims that were difficult to verify independently and that is insufficient for a position of this level.

Commission member Kateryna Ryzhenko noted, among other things, that the candidate provided many explanations, but where documentary evidence was lacking, the commission was left with little more than his word. In addition, his answers to questions directly related to ARMA’s work were too superficial.

What comes next

The commission finished its work for the day. Further updates on next steps will follow. Given that the decision to recommend Dubovyk for the position of ARMA Head was not adopted in accordance with the law, the logical next step would be for the commission to announce a new competition.

“The public and international partners expect the head of the Agency to have an impeccable reputation and a clear operational strategy — something we unfortunately did not see in full. Integrity and political neutrality remain essential to building trust in a body responsible for managing assets worth billions,” emphasized Andrii Borovyk, TI Ukraine Executive Director.

TI Ukraine considers the outcome of the competition a logical result of the concerns raised during the interview — both about the candidate’s integrity and his professional readiness to lead ARMA amid its ongoing reform. In our view, a new competition is an opportunity to find a candidate who clearly meets the required standards.

The full notes from the candidate’s interview are available on our website.