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HEAD OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ANTICORRUPTION CENTER: ARMENIA SPEAKS OF CORRUPTION RISKS INSTEAD OF COMBATTING CORRUPTION
by Samvel Sarksyan
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=6A2642C0-E93F-11E2-904A0EB7C0D21663
Wednesday, July 10, 13:02
Armenia speaks of corruption risks instead of combatting corruption,
Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency International
Anticorruption Center, said at a press conference on July 9.
When assessing the Armenian Control Chamber's report about the 2012
budget expenditures and the following developments in the context
of the anticorruption fight, he recalled that after the Control
Chamber Head had presented the report in Parliament on June 13,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said about misappropriation of
200-300 mln AMD on June 29, whereas the report pointed out that 70%
of the funds (701 bln AMD, or $1.7 bln) budgeted for 2013 ran the
risk to be spent unreasonably. Hoktanyan thinks that it is necessary
to understand what mechanisms are creating these risks and what the
real amount of the embezzlement and misappropriation is. He stressed
that the Control Chamber and other supervisory services should find
out not only the financial components of the misappropriation, but
also the results the misappropriation leads to.
Hoktanyan pointed out that he was waiting for the response of the
Armenian Prosecutor General's Office and other law-enforcement agencies
to the Control Chamber's report. The response will play a big role in
the further analysis of the situation in state budget expenditures,
he said.
"Since Serzh Sargsyan became the president of Armenia in 2008, he has
repeatedly made several speeches, and I give high priority to the work
done and the changes made, not to what is spoken about. Words have gone
down in value; they have become a way to conceal the facts. And if his
speech is followed by serious steps to control the ministries' activity
and if fewer than 67-68% of the respondents start thinking that the
healthcare system is corrupt or extremely corrupt, then it will be
possible to say that the words have become deeds", Hoktanyan stressed.
To recall, Serzh Sargsyan said on June 29 that the Prosecutor General's
Office must legally assess the Control Chamber's report and come out
with a statement. "If the chairman of the Control Chamber claims
that 70% of our state budget, i.e. 701 bln AMD is under threat,
it is obviously a wrong and short-sighted statement. You (the
Prosecutor General - editor's note) need only 2 or 3 days to assess
that report and make a speech, i.e. to say: dear citizens of Armenia,
the Control Chamber's report suggests that only 200 mln or 300 mln
AMD was embezzled", said Sargsyan.
To note, the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office has released no
statement yet.
by Samvel Sarksyan
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=6A2642C0-E93F-11E2-904A0EB7C0D21663
Wednesday, July 10, 13:02
Armenia speaks of corruption risks instead of combatting corruption,
Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency International
Anticorruption Center, said at a press conference on July 9.
When assessing the Armenian Control Chamber's report about the 2012
budget expenditures and the following developments in the context
of the anticorruption fight, he recalled that after the Control
Chamber Head had presented the report in Parliament on June 13,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said about misappropriation of
200-300 mln AMD on June 29, whereas the report pointed out that 70%
of the funds (701 bln AMD, or $1.7 bln) budgeted for 2013 ran the
risk to be spent unreasonably. Hoktanyan thinks that it is necessary
to understand what mechanisms are creating these risks and what the
real amount of the embezzlement and misappropriation is. He stressed
that the Control Chamber and other supervisory services should find
out not only the financial components of the misappropriation, but
also the results the misappropriation leads to.
Hoktanyan pointed out that he was waiting for the response of the
Armenian Prosecutor General's Office and other law-enforcement agencies
to the Control Chamber's report. The response will play a big role in
the further analysis of the situation in state budget expenditures,
he said.
"Since Serzh Sargsyan became the president of Armenia in 2008, he has
repeatedly made several speeches, and I give high priority to the work
done and the changes made, not to what is spoken about. Words have gone
down in value; they have become a way to conceal the facts. And if his
speech is followed by serious steps to control the ministries' activity
and if fewer than 67-68% of the respondents start thinking that the
healthcare system is corrupt or extremely corrupt, then it will be
possible to say that the words have become deeds", Hoktanyan stressed.
To recall, Serzh Sargsyan said on June 29 that the Prosecutor General's
Office must legally assess the Control Chamber's report and come out
with a statement. "If the chairman of the Control Chamber claims
that 70% of our state budget, i.e. 701 bln AMD is under threat,
it is obviously a wrong and short-sighted statement. You (the
Prosecutor General - editor's note) need only 2 or 3 days to assess
that report and make a speech, i.e. to say: dear citizens of Armenia,
the Control Chamber's report suggests that only 200 mln or 300 mln
AMD was embezzled", said Sargsyan.
To note, the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office has released no
statement yet.