PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN SHRUGS OFF ALLEGATIONS BY FORMER INTERIOR MINISTER THAT HE WAS ATTACKED AT PRIME MINISTER'S ORDER
Armenpress
Oct 09 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS: Parliament chairman Tigran Torosian
has shrugged off a former interior minister's allegations that prime
minister Andranik Margarian was behind an attack on him.
Suren Abrahamian, a former interior minister, a former Yerevan mayor,
who is now in the governing board of the opposition Hanrapetutyun
(Republic) Party, was attacked and severely beaten by several unknown
men on Sunday morning in downtown Yerevan street. In an interview
to some local mass media Suren Abrahamian alleged that the attack
had been ordered by prime minister Margarian in retaliation to his
recent remarks that Margarian was a corrupted government official.
The former interior minister was quoted as saying that the attackers
demanded that he must apologize, but did not specify to whom. This
prompted him to conclude that the attack was ordered by Andranik
Margarian. Speaking to journalists today parliament chairman Torosian
who is from Margarian's Republican Party, said he was surprised
at Suren Abrahamian's allegations which were not supported by any
evidence.
Torosian condemned the attack saying he hopes that the police will
track down and arrest the attackers.
"Over all these years when Margarian has been chairman of the
Republican Party no one can recall an instance when he resorted to
such actions to defend his interests," the parliament chairman argued,
adding also he was certain the prime minister had no involvement in
the attack.
Torosian also speculated that the attackers' demand that Abrahamian
apologizes was engineered to put the blame on the prime minister and
the ultimately smear his Republican Party.
Armenpress
Oct 09 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS: Parliament chairman Tigran Torosian
has shrugged off a former interior minister's allegations that prime
minister Andranik Margarian was behind an attack on him.
Suren Abrahamian, a former interior minister, a former Yerevan mayor,
who is now in the governing board of the opposition Hanrapetutyun
(Republic) Party, was attacked and severely beaten by several unknown
men on Sunday morning in downtown Yerevan street. In an interview
to some local mass media Suren Abrahamian alleged that the attack
had been ordered by prime minister Margarian in retaliation to his
recent remarks that Margarian was a corrupted government official.
The former interior minister was quoted as saying that the attackers
demanded that he must apologize, but did not specify to whom. This
prompted him to conclude that the attack was ordered by Andranik
Margarian. Speaking to journalists today parliament chairman Torosian
who is from Margarian's Republican Party, said he was surprised
at Suren Abrahamian's allegations which were not supported by any
evidence.
Torosian condemned the attack saying he hopes that the police will
track down and arrest the attackers.
"Over all these years when Margarian has been chairman of the
Republican Party no one can recall an instance when he resorted to
such actions to defend his interests," the parliament chairman argued,
adding also he was certain the prime minister had no involvement in
the attack.
Torosian also speculated that the attackers' demand that Abrahamian
apologizes was engineered to put the blame on the prime minister and
the ultimately smear his Republican Party.