On June 10, the selection commission for the head of ARMA unanimously voted for a re-run of the competition. The formal reason — no candidate received a recommendation for appointment by the Cabinet of Ministers. The real reason — the only finalist failed to meet one specific legal requirement twice.
How one candidate failed to pass the vote twice
Out of 13 participants in the second stage, only one passed the cognitive abilities test — Viktor Dubovik, head of the Directorate for Legal Policy of the President's Office. Previously, he also ran for the position of SEB director.
At the final interview on April 16, Dubovik received four votes "in favor" out of six commission members — seemingly enough. But the law on ARMA requires that among these four votes there be at least two from representatives of international partners. Dubovik received only one such vote. The vote was repeated — the result did not change.
"Integrity is not only the absence of violations, but also confidence that a person will withstand public scrutiny in the future. This confidence was not provided"
— Rita Simoes, commission member, explaining the position of international representatives
Commission chair Kateryna Ryzhenko clarified: the candidate provided many explanations, but where documentary evidence was lacking, it remained only to rely on his word. For a position of this level, this proved insufficient.
Why the vacancy has dragged on for nearly a year
The position of ARMA head has been vacant since July 30, 2025, when Olena Duma submitted her resignation on the day the law on agency reform came into force. According to Forbes Ukraine, the decision to step down was lobbied by the President's Office and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko due to dissatisfaction with the agency's work effectiveness.
A new competition under updated rules launched in March 2026. Among the key changes — open commission meetings with online streaming and a veto right for international representatives: if voting is split "three to three," they have the deciding vote. This same rule effectively blocked Dubovik's appointment.
ARMA manages seized assets of corrupt officials, sanctioned Russians, and property related to Russia. Under the reform law, the agency received broader powers to transfer such assets for the needs of the Armed Forces — but without a permanent leader, the implementation of these provisions is stalled.
What the third competition will change
Commission chair Ryzhenko stated that the commission will "make every effort" to complete the next selection with a recommendation of one or two candidates. Specific changes to the rules have not yet been announced — on December 19, 2025, the commission already approved evaluation criteria and methodology after public discussion.
A problem with the previous selection, noted by Transparency International Ukraine experts, — a small number of participants and untimely disclosure of competition procedures. If these shortcomings persist, the competition risks repeating the scenario: few candidates → one finalist → blockage by international representatives.
The key question — not how many candidates will submit documents, but whether people will emerge whose asset origins can be independently verified: this is precisely what became a formal screening criterion in April 2026.
