Month: September 2013

FIVE ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN FALL PRAY TO HACKING CRIMES THIS YEAR

13:14 17.09.13

Five Armenian businessmen fell victim to internet swindling in the past
months of 2013, having lost a total of $1.5million, FACTINFOreported.

The criminal cases launched in this connection are still in progress,
with the inquest authorities not yet making any individual or company
names public.

Speaking to Pastinfo, Arthur Goyunyan, the head of a cybercrime
department at the national security agencies, dwelled on certain
up-to-date methods of cybercrimes.

“A criminal, who had gained access to the electronic correspondence
between an Armenian businessman and a foreign partner and later
created an electronic imitation (clone) of the e-mail, suggested
that the payments be transferred to another account, after making
slight changes in the address and creating an illusion that the
correspondence is with the same person. The Armenian businessman
made the transfer to the fake account, without the slightest doubt,
and thus excluded the foreign partner from the game,” he told website.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN DRIVER ARRESTED IN RUSSIA HAS HEART PROBLEMS

September 17, 2013 | 12:04

YEREVAN. – According to preliminary information, Hrachya Harutyunyan’s
trial will be held on December 14; but his pre-trial detention could
be extended yet again, Harutyunyan’s wife, Anahit, toldArmenian
News-NEWS.am.

She noted that her husband is currently at the prison hospital;
he has heart problems, and if the ongoing treatment does not give
positive results, he may even undergo a surgery.

“After the loss of my son, he had colic in the heart area. Now, it
grown worse, and he is receiving treatment,” Harutyunyan’s wife stated.

Incidentally, Hrachya Harutyunyan’s family has not been able to have
a telephonic conversation with him to this day.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a truck crashed into a
passenger bus on July 13 outside Moscow, and it was found out that
the truck driver was an Armenian citizen by the name of Hrachya
Harutyunyan. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus
had split in two. The accident claimed 18 lives and injured more
than 60 people. The court had Harutyunyan arrested on July 15, and
until September 13. In addition, he was brought to the courtroom with
slippers and a women’s robe. This fact caused widespread discontent
among the Armenian public, and protests were staged across the Russian
Embassy in Armenia.

On September 12, the court extended Harutyunyan’s pre-trial detention
until December 14.

To note, Harutyunyan had gone to Russia to earn money in order to
have a tombstone built for his son who has died.

IN WHAT SEQUENCE HAS ARMENIA TAKEN STEPS TOWARD CUSTOMS UNION?

September 17, 2013 | 01:45

YEREVAN. – It is considered that Armenia has begun its integration
processes with the Customs Union on September 3, following the
agreement which Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and
Vladimir Putin had reached in Moscow.

But the aforesaid is not quite true.

In reality, Armenia’s first step toward the Customs Union was taken on
August 8, 2012, again in Moscow, and again during a meeting between the
two presidents. On that day, they agreed to establish a working group
to ascertain the chances for Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union.

Subsequently, in an interview with the Russian Rossiya 24 television
on December 21, Sargsyan spoke in more certainty in favor of joining
the Customs Union.

Next, Armenia signed the first formal document with the Customs
Union on April 10, when Eurasian Economic Commission Chairman
Viktor Khristenko had visited Armenia. This was a memorandum, and
such memorandum is signed with Ukraine, too. In actual fact, Russia
views such memoranda as the first step on the road to the Customs
Union accession.

In parallel with the abovementioned, respective activities also became
more active at the parliamentary level.

And following all these processes, Armenia’s wish to join the Customs
Union was announced on September 3, in Moscow.

ZHOGHOVURD: NEW DETAILS EMERGE OVER ARMENIAN SOLDIER’S DEATH CASE

10:47 ~U 17.09.13

New details have emerged over the tragic army incident that saw
a 19-year-old Armenian conscript killed of a gunshot wound in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

The paper claims that a gunshot released by a fellow serviceman has
caused the soldier’s death. Citing its sources, the paper says that
the two conscripts – Khachatur Khachatryan and Tigran Hakobyan – were
on a service on the border on Sunday night. While Tigran was asleep,
Khachatur reportedly walked up to check if everything was all right.

Tigran woke up meanwhile upon hearing footsteps from the border side.

After noticing a shadow, he reportedly asked for a watchword and
hearing no answer, released the gunshot in the direction of the shadow
moving towards him.

The paper says it later learned the deceased soldier’s father, Koryun
and elder brother, Arthur, are in Russia now.

More details are available in the paper’s latest edition.

HRAPARAK: MILITARY PROSECUTOR TO BE ARMENIA’S NEW REPRESENTATIVE IN EUROPEAN COURT

09:47 17.09.13

Armenia’s military prosecutor, who is thought to be the most suitable
candidate to replace Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, is reportedly
more likely to receive a new appointment in the European Court of
Human Rights (ECtHR) in the near future.

Citing its sources, the paper claims that Gevorg Kostanyan will soon
be Armenia’s permanent representative in the Court, replacing Alvina
Gyukumyan in that position.

Gyulumyan was appointed at the ECtHR in 2009. After the expiry of her
first term, she was re-elected in 2009, says the paper, adding that she
has no more chances for a new re-election following the 2010 reforms
that allow a judge to be elected only once for a nine-year period.

According to the paper, Ara Ghazaryan, a lawyer and a specialist
of international law, is also aware that the military prosecutor is
going to replace Gyulumyan. The paper says that he finds Kostanyan a
better candidate than others as the prosecutor has been working with
the ECtHR for nine years.

HRAPARAK: 4 CANDIDATES FOR PROSECUTOR GENERAL UNDER CONSIDERATION

‘Hraparak’ daily writes citing its sources that the Republican Party
of Armenia (HHK) is examining the candidacies of four persons for the
post of Armenia’s prosecutor general. These men are Arthur Osikian,
David Harutyunian, Vahram Shahinian, and Gevorg Kostanian.

The paper notes some wealthy Armenians based in Russia, including
Samvel Karapetian and Ara Abrahamian, are in favor of reappointment
of Aghvan Hovsepain whose tenure has recently ended. Yet, according
to the paper, the Armenian president remains firm on this issue.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EARLY ELECTIONS AT WRITERS’ UNION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER; POET EDWARD MILTOYAN IS POSSIBLE CANDIDATE

The early convention of the Armenian Writers’ Union is to be held on
November, during the convention elections of the AWU chairman are to
be held, literary critic Avik Isahakyan told the “Haykakan Zhamanak”.

Isahakyan is involved in the commission of the preparation processes.

There is a conviction among the writers that next chairman of AWU is
to be the poet Edward Miltoyan.

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY SETS UP COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS INCREASE IN TRANSPORT FARES

September 17, 2013 | 11:48

YEREVAN. – The municipality of Yerevan will set up a committee to
discuss increase in transport fares, head of association of passenger
carriers Hrant Yeghiazaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He said the municipality had sent an invitation to the association.

Yeghiazaryan himself and heads of two private companies will act as
delegates to the committee.

Municipality’s transport department was not available for comments.

However, invitations have not been sent to chairman of NGO Armenian
Consumers’ Association Armen Poghosyan and chairman of Informed and
Protected Consumer Babken Pipoyan.

The capital city Yerevan Municipality decision to increase the public
transport fares in the city has brought about outbursts. Several
groups were formed in the social networks, and the initiatives were
staging protests and distributing pamphlets against this decision. In
addition, the “Free Car” initiative was launched, along the lines of
which Armenia’s numerous well-known personalities, MPs, and ordinary
residents provide-with their own vehicles-free transportation to
the people.

From: Baghdasarian

GRAPE PROCUREMENT SEASON BEGINS IN ARMENIA

12:32 17.09.13

Photo by ArmeniaNow.com

Today marks the official start of the grape procurement season
in Armenia.

Though Companies are ready to receive an unlimited quantity of harvest
this year, villagers still complain about the terms of the contracts
which they earlier signed with procurers.

Speaking to Tert.am, a gardener from the village Kaghtsrashen (Ararat
region), Aram Khachatryan, said the contracts with some of them were
never renewed despite having expired about two or three years ago. “I
had a contract with the Yerevan Brandy Company, but the factory
refused to sign a new contract this year, arguing that there is a
shortage of the necessary variety of grape this year,” he said.

The Proshyan Brandy Factory confirmed the earlier report that companies
are willing to receive grape in unlimited quantity. A source at the
company said they started the procurement weeks ago, adding that they
will receive the harvest starting from Tuesday.

The prices will be determined depending on the quantity of grapes. The
minimal prices will be within the range of 140-150 Drams ($0.34 –
$0.36) per kilogram.

Areni Wine Factory’s Director Rafik Simonyan told our correspondent
that they are expected to start the procurement in October.

“The total quantity of the harvest will be more compared to last year.

The procurement price will be the same – 200-220 Drams ($0.48-$0.53),”
he said, adding that the areni grape, which the company purchases,
is a relatively expensive variety.

SUGAR IMPORT VOLUME DECREASED IN ARMENIA

09:40, 17 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The sugar import volume to the
Republic of Armenia has been decreased for about 1,9 times at the
course of the first six months of the current year in comparison
with the same period of 2012 and reached 27 thousand 219,1 tons. In
accordance with the data of the State Revenue Committee under the
Government of the Republic of Armenia, our country imported 51 thousand
583,2 tons of sugar at the course of the first six months of the
previous year. As reports “Armenpress” the average customs value of
1 kg of sugar imported to the Republic of Armenia has been decreased
by 11 percent and reached USD 0,57 (AMD 235). In the previous year
the average customs value of 1 kg of sugar imported to the Republic
of Armenia was USD 0,64 (about AMD 260). The Republic of Armenia
imported the majority of sugar from Brazil (24 thousand 666,8 tons).

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: Baghdasarian