Corruption remains endemic in Ukraine and a severe impediment to democratic and economic development in the country. Support to anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine is a high political priority for the European Union.

The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI) 2017-2019, a three-year programme implemented by the Danish International Development Agency, aims to improve the implementation of anti-corruption policy in Ukraine, thereby contributing to a reduction in corruption. The programme supports all critical institutions for anti-corruption justice in Ukraine, including the newly established Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).

The International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), a part of the Basel Institute on Governance, recently provided support to this project in the form of a five-day training workshop on financial investigations, asset tracing/forfeiture, Mutual Legal Assistance and new payment methods. It took into account recently adopted legislation on seizure and special confiscation and the ARMA, which represents a significant step towards harmonisation of the Ukrainian legislation with European and international standards and best practice in the field of asset recovery.

The 23 participants of the training workshop, which took place in Kyiv during 4-8 June 2018, included representatives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), in addition to staff of the new ARMA.

The training focused on a practical understanding of the asset tracing process and encouraging inter-agency co-operation. Although ARMA has no criminal investigative powers of its own, it has the authority to find and trace assets at the request of law enforcement authorities, prosecutors and courts for the purpose of seizing and confiscating such assets, thus emphasising its importance in the overall criminal justice system.