The Asset Recovery and Management Agency had assigned the manager for the Mezhyhiria  residence. But then, due to resentment and pressure of civil society organizations and investigative journalists, it was made to resume the competition until February 28.

On 25 January at a press briefing, Head of the Agency Anton Yanchuk assured that the public would now have access to each step of the competition. The review of potential Mezhyhiria managers and their management plans would be open as well.

Legal advisor Kateryna Ryzhenko reported on TI Ukraine’s visit of the ARMA tender committee, where she was able to assess observance of procedure rules during manager election. Yet, the role of the CSO was over at that stage.

“Mezhyhiria  is too sensitive an asset to be silent about it. The society has the right to be aware of each step of the manager selection. TI Ukraine supports such a decision to keep the competition going and make it fully transparent. We are willing to promote the coverage of the full process and to assist with the search of a new respectable manager for ‘The Museum of Corruption’,” said legal advisor of Transparency International Ukraine Kateryna Ryzhenko.

 

array(3) { ["quote_image"]=> bool(false) ["quote_text"]=> string(387) "Mezhyhiria  is too sensitive an asset to be silent about it. The society has the right to be aware of each step of the manager selection. TI Ukraine supports such a decision to keep the competition going and make it fully transparent. We are willing to promote the coverage of the full process and to assist with the search of a new respectable manager for ‘The Museum of Corruption'." ["quote_author"]=> string(68) "Kateryna Ryzhenko, legal advisor, Transparency International Ukraine" }

Mezhyhiria  is too sensitive an asset to be silent about it. The society has the right to be aware of each step of the manager selection. TI Ukraine supports such a decision to keep the competition going and make it fully transparent. We are willing to promote the coverage of the full process and to assist with the search of a new respectable manager for ‘The Museum of Corruption'.

Kateryna Ryzhenko, legal advisor, Transparency International Ukraine

Unfortunately, the organization did not have access to the documentation and therefore could not assess the tender participants, their integrity and the content of financial documents.

After the ARMA concludes an agreement with the manager, an official “setting down” of the new manager with the property transfer act should take place in the residence. Under the law, the Agency will be conducting effectiveness management control of the seized assets.

As a reminder, the entire situation is about the assets management concerning immovable and movable property in the Novi Petrivtsi village of Vyshhorodskyi rayon, transferred under the Agency’s management by Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv. The new manager will be in charge of Mezhyhiria until Obolonskyi District Court and Kyiv Appeal Court make the ruling on the case of ex-president Yanukovych.

 

This publication has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of Transparency International Ukraine and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Transparency International Ukraine works with the National Agency within the project Enhancing the Role of Civil Society in Public Finance Oversight, financed by the European Union. The project aims at empowering civil society and journalists with effective anti-corruption, asset recovery and anti-money laundering tools to perform the public finance oversight, support the launch of Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) and to update the list of Politically Exposed Persons. Find out more at https://goo.gl/Jgr9ic