PASHINYAN TO CONTROL CHAMBER HEAD: “POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK”
Grisha Balasanyan
During an ongoing parliamentary hearing on the Control Chamber’s
activities last year regarding cases of misuse of government
expenditures, MP Nikol Pashinyan redirected the focus on the oversight
department head himself, Ishkhan Zakaryan.
Pashinyan, in no subtle terms, voiced suspicions as to the source
of funds that Zakaryan used to build a multi-million dollar private
residence over the past nine months.
“Nine months ago, Ishkhan Zakaryan was giving a report in the
parliament about the abuses of others and today, nine months later,
he is doing the same,” Pashinyan said.
The opposition MP called on his colleagues to take a closer look at
the biography of Zakaryan since they will not find one episode that
would not raise the specter of suspicion regarding the construction
of such an expensive mansion.
“I am amazed how Ishkhan Zakaryan can stand her and make heroic
statements regarding the abuses of others. They too have built private
homes like Zakaryan, but I’m sure that many of them could only dream
about having such a luxurious one,” Pashinyan said.
The MP argued that all these recent exposes on government abuse are a
direct reflection on the government of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
who, after being implicated in an off-shore scandal, is wasting no
time in speaking about the need to combat corruption.