Former justice minister weighs in on latest corruption-related scandals

Davit Harutyunyan, the Republican Party (HHK) politician who is a former justice minister, says he doesn’t see the party’s responsibility in the arrests and discoveries of abuses involving HHK members. Harutyunyan says he regrets over the occurrences, and adds that his treatment for a criminal doesn’t differ because of their party-affiliation.

“The Republican party was a large party having government tools, if we look statistically, naturally problems here could’ve been much more than in smaller parties,” he said.

Harutyunyan didn’t deny that such scandalous discoveries didn’t happen in the previous government, but he says that similar cases have happened and the guilty have been held accountable.

He says that the statements of security agencies cause uncertainty over some issues. He said that the statement over Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s director, currently in custody, is unclear.

“It says he infused personal money to the accounts to cover up the misappropriation. If indeed he has paid the entire money from his own pocket then I wouldn’t see misappropriation here, but I don’t have any information and I don’t tend to justify anyone,” he said.

Regarding the charges brought against former Michael Harutyunyan over the 2008 March 1 events, Harutyunyan said the charges are a serious error. He said that Harutyunyan is charged under Article 300.1, an article which didn’t exists back in 2008, thus a criminally liable act cannot have retroactive force.

“I hope today our law enforcement agencies will treat their work more vigilantly because such errors devaluate the other work,” he said.

Regarding illicit enrichment discoveries, Harutyunyan noted that any unexplainable enrichment made before July 1, 2017 isn’t criminalized.