Tweet
OF WIRES AND INSULATED GLAZING: CONTROL CHAMBER REVEALS GLARING ABUSE IN STATE-FUNDED PURCHASES
http://www.armenianow.com/news/46901/armenia_budget_government_corruption_ishkhan_zakar yan
NEWS | 14.06.13 | 12:02
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
A "budget recovery" process has been launched in the Armenian
parliament. It hardly goes beyond words now, but the lawmakers together
with their speaker demand more vocally the punishment of those guilty
of embezzling public funds.
Chairman of the Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan on Thursday reported
to the National Assembly on the work done in 2012, making a number of
scandalous revelations. He brought to the Parliament a cable that he
had purchased from a retailer to illustrate how a 25-cent-worth wire
could costs public coffers $2.5. Zakaryan also brought other examples,
in particular, state purchases of insulated glazing in which invoices
provided by purchasers had nothing to do with market prices.
The Control Chamber head also expressed concern over the quality of
goods and services purchased at exaggerated prices.
Zakaryan gave another glaring example of how the agency implementing
judicial and legal programs for compiling the feasibility reports
on organizing a global judicial network signed a contract with a
consortium consisting of an American company and an Armenian firm for
a sum equivalent of 545,000 euros (more than $727,000). But then it
turned out that the bulk of the sum was transferred to the U.S.
company (which the Chamber cannot audit), and the Armenian company,
whose experts were to implement this program, got no money. It is
unclear what the American company spent that money for.
The same day the Agency issued a statement expressing its disagreement
with the conclusions of the Control Chamber. However, the case will
be handed over to the prosecutor's office.
But most surprising was the statement by Parliament Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan, who said that after such revelations of "thieves
and plunderers" concrete steps are needed. "How many people have
already been held accountable for waste of [public funds]?" he
queried. Zakarian said that the Control Chamber does not perform
punitive functions and can only refer cases to prosecutors.
However, despite the speaker's statement, the Armenian press concluded
that it was simply a publicity stunt made for the purpose of ensuring
an "increased role of the parliament" that Abrahamyan had earlier
promised to raise. At least three times during the latest session the
parliament speaker leveled criticism at the executive branch of power.
That it might as well be a publicity stunt is evidenced by the fact
that the Parliament has failed to invite the prosecutor general to
inquire about the course of investigations in cases submitted to his
office by the Control Chamber in recent years. Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepyan has until September to serve in his current capacity
and apparently that's why they do not want to 'touch' him.
Meanwhile, online chattering classes have been making fun of the
artistry of many MPs demanding punishment for 'thieves of the budget'
because they believe that most of the lawmakers are themselves business
owners who often use their position to obtain government contracts
under the notorious system of 'kickbacks'.
President Serzh Sargsyan spoke about the need to combat government
corruption and squander of public funds still last September.
However, not a single large case of government corruption has been
revealed since them, while the entire drive has come down to catching
red-handed mid-level officials taking bribes.
"The Control Chamber will soon unveil some interesting facts that it
will present in the report for 2013 compiled based on the scrutiny
of special programs of the Ministry of Health," the Chamber's head
promised to the lawmakers on Thursday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://www.armenianow.com/news/46901/armenia_budget_government_corruption_ishkhan_zakar yan
NEWS | 14.06.13 | 12:02
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
A "budget recovery" process has been launched in the Armenian
parliament. It hardly goes beyond words now, but the lawmakers together
with their speaker demand more vocally the punishment of those guilty
of embezzling public funds.
Chairman of the Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan on Thursday reported
to the National Assembly on the work done in 2012, making a number of
scandalous revelations. He brought to the Parliament a cable that he
had purchased from a retailer to illustrate how a 25-cent-worth wire
could costs public coffers $2.5. Zakaryan also brought other examples,
in particular, state purchases of insulated glazing in which invoices
provided by purchasers had nothing to do with market prices.
The Control Chamber head also expressed concern over the quality of
goods and services purchased at exaggerated prices.
Zakaryan gave another glaring example of how the agency implementing
judicial and legal programs for compiling the feasibility reports
on organizing a global judicial network signed a contract with a
consortium consisting of an American company and an Armenian firm for
a sum equivalent of 545,000 euros (more than $727,000). But then it
turned out that the bulk of the sum was transferred to the U.S.
company (which the Chamber cannot audit), and the Armenian company,
whose experts were to implement this program, got no money. It is
unclear what the American company spent that money for.
The same day the Agency issued a statement expressing its disagreement
with the conclusions of the Control Chamber. However, the case will
be handed over to the prosecutor's office.
But most surprising was the statement by Parliament Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan, who said that after such revelations of "thieves
and plunderers" concrete steps are needed. "How many people have
already been held accountable for waste of [public funds]?" he
queried. Zakarian said that the Control Chamber does not perform
punitive functions and can only refer cases to prosecutors.
However, despite the speaker's statement, the Armenian press concluded
that it was simply a publicity stunt made for the purpose of ensuring
an "increased role of the parliament" that Abrahamyan had earlier
promised to raise. At least three times during the latest session the
parliament speaker leveled criticism at the executive branch of power.
That it might as well be a publicity stunt is evidenced by the fact
that the Parliament has failed to invite the prosecutor general to
inquire about the course of investigations in cases submitted to his
office by the Control Chamber in recent years. Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepyan has until September to serve in his current capacity
and apparently that's why they do not want to 'touch' him.
Meanwhile, online chattering classes have been making fun of the
artistry of many MPs demanding punishment for 'thieves of the budget'
because they believe that most of the lawmakers are themselves business
owners who often use their position to obtain government contracts
under the notorious system of 'kickbacks'.
President Serzh Sargsyan spoke about the need to combat government
corruption and squander of public funds still last September.
However, not a single large case of government corruption has been
revealed since them, while the entire drive has come down to catching
red-handed mid-level officials taking bribes.
"The Control Chamber will soon unveil some interesting facts that it
will present in the report for 2013 compiled based on the scrutiny
of special programs of the Ministry of Health," the Chamber's head
promised to the lawmakers on Thursday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress