“Inspiring” corruption or “poor eyesight”
Richard Mills, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, these days assessed statements by Karen Karapetyan on fight against corruption in Armenia as “inspiring trust.” According to the Ambassador the PM reflects to the issues on necessity of fight against corruption, which are heard from Armenian public and reporters.
“Corruption should be eradicated as it hinders development of business and involvement of new investments. It also may become threat to national security. I think that the Prime Minister realizes this and is concerned over the issue,” the Ambassador said.
Parliamentary powers reflect differently to the observation by the U.S. Ambassador. ANC faction secretary Aram Manukyan told “168 Hours” that he disagrees that there are steps inspiring trust. In his words, there is nothing absolute in the action plans of the government regarding fight against corruption and it’s not observed. He stated that in the speech by the government representative during the budget debate 2017 in NA there was no any conceptual, political or program approach, “These people introduce accounting here, and they consider it’s a government session. This is a political body, which should discuss political approaches.”
To our question on what the statement was based, A.Manukyan replied, “Maybe they showed him, we don’t see, or we have poor eyesight.”
According to ARF faction head Armen Rustamyan principal approaches to fight against corruption have been enshrined in the government’s action plan. “We have talked to the PM on this rather seriously, and he is ready to pass a new quality to the fight against corruption. And the steps he anticipates to take to that end will manifest his political will. Anti-corruption independent management should be developed. A new phenomenon will be recorded as well, that illegal enrichment was regarded as a type of crime.
This means while assuming the position a person declares his property, then after some years change of his property should comply with the legal incomes, otherwise a criminal case will be initiated. I consider it’s a rather serious mechanism to get rid of the officials, who abuse their positions and record corruption phenomena in their activity. There are good grounds and I’m glad that unbiased observers also see that.”
A.Rustamyan reminded the Panama case, which was uncovered, and as a result of the well-known publication one of the officials [CES former head Mihran Poghosyan-G.Kh.] was dismissed, “Offshore issues, corruption implications, hiding incomes and the process of money laundering are linked to one another, and it’s good that there is a world network, which uncovers it, as even if Armenia’s authorities intend to do that, they can’t reach it. Systemized international fight should be managed.”
PAP faction MP Mikael Melkumyan heard the statements, however, it’ll be proper covering the results only after establishment of an anti-corruption body, which will have wider functions, after illegal enrichment criminalization enters into force, too, “Systemic fight is necessary to implement, those institutes need operating.”
According to the PM there is no issue of finances, however, potential investment, which will vanish, as the purchased building or production means will depreciate, “The administrative resource, state apparatus have established such distorted conditions, that investment vanishes. It turns out that your investment is being seized. So that money didn’t wait for a lasting period, at least with less profitability, it escapes to save itself and rest.”
MP Stepan Margaryan will wait for conclusion of results and clear decrease of corruption index. According to him corruption in our country is rather obvious and the lowest percentage of declared volume is even higher. The MP stated that anti-corruption steps aren’t concrete. S.Margaryan posed a question: why don’t Georgians invest in Armenia? In his words for the Georgian capital Armenia is very proper to enter the EEU market of 300 million, “Georgian production doesn’t enter Europe so easily, and even more difficultly to EEU. But there is no any investment in Armenia. Why? I proposed to study it and eliminate hindrances.”
“Rule of Law” faction secretary Mher Shahgeldyan also considers that words aren’t enough, judgement should be made through results. According to him, there are criteria, e.g. linked to return of money sent abroad, linked to their sources, “In 10 years USD 10 billion has been taken abroad, and today to move its economy, USD 7-8 billion investment is necessary for Armenia, and we have USD 6 billion external debt, service of which has become a serious issue, i.e. one of the primary issues should be bringing back those financial resources.”
He agreed that corruption is an issue of national security, as it prevents country’s development, “It’s an issue of direct defense—armaments purchase, fight against migration, which also affects the number of soldiers. People often migrate as a result of coming across with corruption issues.”
RPA faction head Vahram Baghdasaryan doesn’t know corrupt officials and businesses. In his words if the Ambassador makes such a statement, he should say about whom he speaks. He urged not to avoid it and speak of concrete cases, if they know, “At least during the fight against corruption if such apparent cases are recorded, not we, but the law enforcement should do it.” V.Baghdasaryan doesn’t believe in USD 10 billion flow—there are no facts. “However, I agree that wide-scale corruption may cause a security issue as well for each country.”
By Gayane Khachatryan
