OLENA DUMA:

OLENA DUMA IS THE HEAD OF THE AGENCY FOR INVESTIGATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ASSETS (AIMA), THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL AGENCY OF UKRAINE FOR

THE DETECTION, INVESTIGATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ASSETS OBTAINED FROM CORRUPTION AND OTHER CRIMES

– Mrs. Olena, you head one of the most complex bodies with a special status. How do you overcome such challenges, not reacting to daily attacks, threats, pressure?

– Just as a woman, I can say that the Ukrainian nation is very strong. We have real men, heroes, warriors. They put their lives on the line to protect and fight for our independence and future for our children.

We can fight back: this is an illustration also of my activity. A woman, being the one who gives life to a child, will fight for it and its future without thinking. The woman has a keen sense of the preservation of the generation and restoration of justice. We can be not only beautiful and gentle, intelligent and hardworking, inspire and support, we are able to organize and lead.

– Olena, you were recently awarded with the Order of Princess Olga, the highest honour for a woman from the hands of Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine. How did it happen, and what are your feelings?

– Yes, this award is the highest and is given for dedication, self-sacrifice and courage for the sake of the Ukrainian people. It does not come instantly and certainly does not depend on posts. Four years ago, I was already awarded, by the way, by your publication with the «The Woman Who Cares is for Justice» distinction. Then it was in the context of the fact that I, as the leader of national platforms, fought for the constitutional and social rights of citizens, in particular, for the development of national-patriotic education and the fight against corruption. I exposed and stopped large-scale corruption schemes in the social sphere, initiated criminal cases, suspended and dismissed unprofessional persons. The result was the adoption of the relevant law of Ukraine and the liquidation of the corrupt body.

But most importantly, I was and remain calm. Everything I do in life, I do it truly selflessly, with love and definitely not for the sake of awards or orders, no matter how high they are. I do it for the sake of the result for us, for our country, for our children.

– The agency impresses with its effectiveness and courage of actions against enemies and fugitive collaborators. What successes are you most proud of?

– Ukraine will win this war, and the world will find peace. I share the President’s opinion that justice has no borders. Ukraine is a strong country. Ukrainians are the strongest nation, which is now fighting not only for the right to life and independence, but also for peace in the world. Everyone does it in his or her place. Everyone does it on his or her own «field».

I can confidently say that the mastery of systematic small steps is irresistible and has an irreversible force.

I am the head of AІMA for the year. And it was not easy: making difficult decisions, dismissing unprofessional people, reviewing personnel potential, changing the rules for Prozorro, eradicating schemes that had risks of corruption, opening the Register of Attached Assets, fighting for a adequate salary for employees to motivate them to work transparently, daily work with employees, with their belief that justice will prevail, raising the status of the body among other authorities, in particular law enforcing ones, raising international status of the body.

I consider the fact that I and my team managed to raise the organization from a minus mark to a plus mark, and that the agency will never be able to repeat the shameful mistakes of the past periods as our greatest success.

The change in normative regulation of asset management and cooperation with Prozorro is a definitive success for the country. This is about the use of budget funds for one’s maintenance three times more than the declared income to the state from activities, and about competitions in the manual mode, inaction regarding the settlement of asset management issues at the legislative level, inefficiency and the presence of corruption components in past periods. The main achievements are well known. We share and talk about both the successes and the challenges we face every day. During the war, our activities gained special importance. AIMA’s deposit portfolio alone has already amounted to almost UAH 12 billion. About 6 billion hryvnias have been directed to the fight against the enemy for the Defense Forces. This happens through the purchase of military bonds, and these funds go to the Armed Forces. And in 2024, another UAH 1.78 billion are sent to the country’s budget from the management of AIMA’s attached assets. This is 52 times more than for the entire previous reporting year.

Therefore, we return illegally obtained property, sell it on Prozorro or manage it for the benefit of the state. Since such a mechanism has worked, it angers those who owned or managed such assets and had exorbitant wealth or income.

Our activity has no borders. We find criminal and unjustified income that was transferred abroad. A historic and turning point is the fixation of the agency’s initiative regarding the procedure for the sale of assets seized abroad in the normative field.

This means that we have demonstrated to the whole world that with our consistent and systematic steps we are capable of returning Ukrainian belongings to Ukraine. And what was stolen or acquired as a result of committing crimes on the territory of Ukraine or against the state will work and return to the country. At the same time, this means that the status of Ukraine as a belligerent state is strong. The ability to win and legalize the decisions of national courts in foreign jurisdictions is the ability to defend justice at the European level, it is the ability for independent economic recovery and it is satisfaction as a result of bringing to economic responsibility those who considered themselves untouchable and unreachable for Ukrainian justice.

– The search and management of attached assets is usually accompanied by high-profile events. It can be dangerous to do this with the assets of fugitive collaborators during a war. What motivates you and how do you manage to fight?

– To reach the goal, a person needs only one thing – to go. Our common goal is an independent, strong country in which happy children grow up. It motivates me every morning when I send my son to school. We have only one life. We feel its value especially keenly during times of alerts. Therefore, questions about pressure, threats and danger do not make sense, because they have no force against truth and justice. The only way to achieve results in any affair is to transcend one step after another ignoring those who intend to stand in the way. I call it mastery of small steps and professionalism.

I have faith and wings, I do everything with love – this is the basis. Victory to our Ukraine!