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NO IMPUNITY: ARMENIAN POLITICIANS DUCK JUSTICE
Transparency International
Oct 26 2012
By Varuzhan Hoktanyan on 26 October 2012in Europe and Central Asia,
Politics and government
It is nothing new for Armenians to see their politicians accused of
corruption. Usually the accusations have little effect and in a few
instances people may change jobs but they rarely get punished.
In July 2012, however, a court in the United States returned a guilty
verdict against Vardan Ayvazyan, a former environment minister and
current Member of Parliament for soliciting a $3 million bribe and
ordered him to pay $37.5 million in compensation to a US mining
company, which following its refusal to bribe lost its license
in Armenia.
Ayvazyan is also chair of the parliamentary Standing Committee and
a prominent representative of the ruling Republican Party. The news
of his conviction was reported in the Armenian press only in September.
In Armenia the police and the judiciary are among the top institutions
that people believe are most corrupt. So, we don't expect those in
power to be brought to justice very often. Impunity is a big problem.
It will be very surprising if this politician has to pay a penny in
compensation, much less lose his job.
Today, despite the ruling in the US and all the evidence presented in
the court there, there is little political will in Armenia to follow
up on the case. This is a significant opportunity to show that the
rule of law is important and applies to everyone. It perpetuates the
idea that those who are corrupt and use their positions of power for
private gain will not be held to account.
Transparency Armenia has asked the Committee on Ethics of the National
Assembly of Armenia to look into the case to decide if the behaviour of
the parliamentarian lived up to ethical norms and standards. In terms
of other activism, there is a campaign running on Facebook demanding
Vardan Ayvazyan's resignation and more than 500 people have signed
to date.
Of particular concern was Ayvazayan's public contempt for the US
international court, the journalists who wrote about the case, and
the general public.
Unfortunately, the Ethics committee declined to open the case because
the alleged crime took place before Ayvazyan became an MP and before
the introduction of current ethics rules which were introduced in
May 2012.
It is a missed opportunity for Armenian law enforcement authorities
in not initiating any investigations after the US court decision. We
feel by highlighting this case, we can make a point about the rule
of law and why it is so important for political elites not to be seen
to be above the law
We are not pre-judging the former minister who clearly has the
right to appeal his conviction, but what we would like is there to
be transparency about the allegations and a way for the citizens
of Armenia to hold their elected officials to account. That is the
lesson here that we hope the political class will learn.
Varuzhan Hoktanyan is Executive Director of Transparency International
Anti-corruption Center, TI's Chapter in Armenia.
http://blog.transparency.org/2012/10/26/no-impunity-armenian-politicians-duck-justice/
Transparency International
Oct 26 2012
By Varuzhan Hoktanyan on 26 October 2012in Europe and Central Asia,
Politics and government
It is nothing new for Armenians to see their politicians accused of
corruption. Usually the accusations have little effect and in a few
instances people may change jobs but they rarely get punished.
In July 2012, however, a court in the United States returned a guilty
verdict against Vardan Ayvazyan, a former environment minister and
current Member of Parliament for soliciting a $3 million bribe and
ordered him to pay $37.5 million in compensation to a US mining
company, which following its refusal to bribe lost its license
in Armenia.
Ayvazyan is also chair of the parliamentary Standing Committee and
a prominent representative of the ruling Republican Party. The news
of his conviction was reported in the Armenian press only in September.
In Armenia the police and the judiciary are among the top institutions
that people believe are most corrupt. So, we don't expect those in
power to be brought to justice very often. Impunity is a big problem.
It will be very surprising if this politician has to pay a penny in
compensation, much less lose his job.
Today, despite the ruling in the US and all the evidence presented in
the court there, there is little political will in Armenia to follow
up on the case. This is a significant opportunity to show that the
rule of law is important and applies to everyone. It perpetuates the
idea that those who are corrupt and use their positions of power for
private gain will not be held to account.
Transparency Armenia has asked the Committee on Ethics of the National
Assembly of Armenia to look into the case to decide if the behaviour of
the parliamentarian lived up to ethical norms and standards. In terms
of other activism, there is a campaign running on Facebook demanding
Vardan Ayvazyan's resignation and more than 500 people have signed
to date.
Of particular concern was Ayvazayan's public contempt for the US
international court, the journalists who wrote about the case, and
the general public.
Unfortunately, the Ethics committee declined to open the case because
the alleged crime took place before Ayvazyan became an MP and before
the introduction of current ethics rules which were introduced in
May 2012.
It is a missed opportunity for Armenian law enforcement authorities
in not initiating any investigations after the US court decision. We
feel by highlighting this case, we can make a point about the rule
of law and why it is so important for political elites not to be seen
to be above the law
We are not pre-judging the former minister who clearly has the
right to appeal his conviction, but what we would like is there to
be transparency about the allegations and a way for the citizens
of Armenia to hold their elected officials to account. That is the
lesson here that we hope the political class will learn.
Varuzhan Hoktanyan is Executive Director of Transparency International
Anti-corruption Center, TI's Chapter in Armenia.
http://blog.transparency.org/2012/10/26/no-impunity-armenian-politicians-duck-justice/