Tweet
CORRUPTION SCANDALS IN ARMENIA
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 1 2013
1 August 2013 - 9:27am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The Department of State Interest Protection of the General Prosecution
Service sent four analyses of the report of the Control Chamber for
2012 to the Head Investigative Department of the Armenian police. The
analyses concerned the Center of Educational Programs, the Transport
Program Realization Office, the Water Service Program Realization
Office, and the Realization Office of the Program of Reconstruction
of the Arpa-Sevan Tunnel. All these programs are being directly or
indirectly implemented by the government, while heads of ministries
have already reported to the government on the problems. The head
of the Control Chamber (CC) Ishkhan Zakaryan presented the report
on state budget expenses in 2012 and emphasized that in many spheres
the situation remained unchanged; he highlighted outrageous cases of
corruption in the spheres of state construction and state purchases.
Zakaryan stated that 70%, or 701 billion drams, stayed in the risk
zone.
The report by Zakaryan to parliament became a swipe at the
government of Tigran Sarkisyan, who simultaneously demanded that the
law-enforcement agencies investigate all the facts represented by the
CC and expressed dissatisfaction with the "CC's excess of jurisdiction
and its political assessment." The speaker of the parliament Ovik
Abramyan expressed his dissatisfaction as well, but not with Zakaryan,
but the prime minister for allowing such corruption. After this he
suggested sending all elicited abuses to the General Prosecution
Service. Abramyan also demanded that the premier to dismiss "all
those who rob and gobble the state budget."
However, considering two opposite reactions of heads of the
executive and legislative branches of power, there are doubts about
the independent and objective behaviour of the CC, which is an
instrument of political groups inside the power. As the opposition
is actually isolated from real political processes, the motivation of
the head of the CC should be found within the fight inside the ruling
elite. And Zakaryan, the denouncer and fighter against corruption,
provokes questions himself: in 9 months he built a cottage costing
several million dollars. As for Abramyan, in 20 years of state service
he purchased thousands of hectares of gardens and vineyards in the
Ararat Region, refinery enterprises, and major financial assets. Tigran
Sarkisyan is also a well-known wealthy person, but the prime minister
prefers to store his property in Spain. It is logical to remember
"the offshore scandal" involving the prime minister.
Recently the mass media raised the question of untargeted usage of
$2 million allocated by the government to conduct the Shanghai-2012
exhibition by the Armenian embassy in China, which is headed by the
prime minister's brother.
Thus, despite the fact that the republicans state that there are no
contradictions within the RPA, the internal party mudslinging war
continues, presenting new instances of stealing budget resources. The
sides are headed by the prime minister and the parliamentary speaker.
Those around the former president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan competes
with them as well.
The attitude of President Serge Sargsyan seems to be ambiguous. The
president called Zarakyan "to work in such a way that all departments
feel the attention of the CC and would be sure of punishment
for mistakes and crimes," while criticising him "for excess of
jurisdiction." During the session of the Executive Board of the
RPA, the president expressed dissatisfaction at the fact that top
representatives of the ruling party openly criticize each other.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/economy/43323.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 1 2013
1 August 2013 - 9:27am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The Department of State Interest Protection of the General Prosecution
Service sent four analyses of the report of the Control Chamber for
2012 to the Head Investigative Department of the Armenian police. The
analyses concerned the Center of Educational Programs, the Transport
Program Realization Office, the Water Service Program Realization
Office, and the Realization Office of the Program of Reconstruction
of the Arpa-Sevan Tunnel. All these programs are being directly or
indirectly implemented by the government, while heads of ministries
have already reported to the government on the problems. The head
of the Control Chamber (CC) Ishkhan Zakaryan presented the report
on state budget expenses in 2012 and emphasized that in many spheres
the situation remained unchanged; he highlighted outrageous cases of
corruption in the spheres of state construction and state purchases.
Zakaryan stated that 70%, or 701 billion drams, stayed in the risk
zone.
The report by Zakaryan to parliament became a swipe at the
government of Tigran Sarkisyan, who simultaneously demanded that the
law-enforcement agencies investigate all the facts represented by the
CC and expressed dissatisfaction with the "CC's excess of jurisdiction
and its political assessment." The speaker of the parliament Ovik
Abramyan expressed his dissatisfaction as well, but not with Zakaryan,
but the prime minister for allowing such corruption. After this he
suggested sending all elicited abuses to the General Prosecution
Service. Abramyan also demanded that the premier to dismiss "all
those who rob and gobble the state budget."
However, considering two opposite reactions of heads of the
executive and legislative branches of power, there are doubts about
the independent and objective behaviour of the CC, which is an
instrument of political groups inside the power. As the opposition
is actually isolated from real political processes, the motivation of
the head of the CC should be found within the fight inside the ruling
elite. And Zakaryan, the denouncer and fighter against corruption,
provokes questions himself: in 9 months he built a cottage costing
several million dollars. As for Abramyan, in 20 years of state service
he purchased thousands of hectares of gardens and vineyards in the
Ararat Region, refinery enterprises, and major financial assets. Tigran
Sarkisyan is also a well-known wealthy person, but the prime minister
prefers to store his property in Spain. It is logical to remember
"the offshore scandal" involving the prime minister.
Recently the mass media raised the question of untargeted usage of
$2 million allocated by the government to conduct the Shanghai-2012
exhibition by the Armenian embassy in China, which is headed by the
prime minister's brother.
Thus, despite the fact that the republicans state that there are no
contradictions within the RPA, the internal party mudslinging war
continues, presenting new instances of stealing budget resources. The
sides are headed by the prime minister and the parliamentary speaker.
Those around the former president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan competes
with them as well.
The attitude of President Serge Sargsyan seems to be ambiguous. The
president called Zarakyan "to work in such a way that all departments
feel the attention of the CC and would be sure of punishment
for mistakes and crimes," while criticising him "for excess of
jurisdiction." During the session of the Executive Board of the
RPA, the president expressed dissatisfaction at the fact that top
representatives of the ruling party openly criticize each other.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/economy/43323.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress