Month: September 2013

CONFLICT OF INTEREST?: ANTI-CORRUPTION CENTER WANTS ANSWERS ON NA VICE-SPEAKER

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

NEWS | 13.09.13 | 13:51

Photolure

By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Transparency International anti-corruption center has turned to the
parliament and the Ethics Commission for High-Ranking Officials of
Armenia with a motion to examine possible violation of MP ethics
by vice-speaker Hermine Naghdalyan. TI suspects that Naghdalyan has
mingled her law-making duties with her business activities, and has
asked for information on Naghdalyan’s declared property and income,
and analysis of the sources in comparison with information circulated
in the press.

Hetq investigative journalism online newspaper posted an article on
August 29, titled “A 409 million drams agreement has been signed with
a Naghdalyan-owned company”, claiming that Sisian BUAT LLC belonging
to her had signed a state procurement agreement without prior tender
and had by government decree approved 416.8 million drams’ ($1.03
million) allotment for the capital repair of separate segments of
Yerevan-Meghri highway.

“I will provide necessary explanations, since they have turned to
the ethics commission, but if you read their demand, you will see
that the issue they point to is the parliamentarian’s involvement in
entrepreneurship, which is an unfounded allegation and is not true.

As for the fact the MP had incomes, profit from that organization
of which she is a shareholder, she has never made a secret of it and
for years has openly declared it,” says Naghdalyan.

In reference to the Hetq article the Republican MP says there is a
government decree by which a decision was made, and that’s completely
legal. She had taken no actions that imply conflict of interests in
this connection, she says.

“If I ever happen to have a conflict of interests while being a
member of parliament I will act in accordance with the legislation,
the Constitution and rules of procedure of the Republic of Armenia,”
she says.

In July, the anti-corruption center turned to the Ethics Commission
for High-Ranking Officials asking to start a probe into Yerevan Mayor
Taron Margaryan’s activities.

“Has the Commission looked into the allegations circulated by media
related to Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan’s property and income sources;
has it analyzed and compared his declarations of income and those
of people related to him with the information speculated upon in the
press?”, the TI letter to the commission read in part.

The Ethics Commission has initiated proceedings, following the center’s
petition, to examine Margaryan’s property and income sources, risks
of conflict of interests, possible cases of abuse of his position
and power when administering investments.

Earlier TI had turned to the Ethics Commission to examine whether
Gagik Khachatryan, the head of the State Revenue Committee, was engaged
in business activities which would involve a conflict of interest as
far as his official duties were concerned. The Commission, however,
ruled there was “no conflict of interest”.

BISHARIAN: WE HOPE RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA WILL NOT IMPEDE EU CONTACTS

Friday,
September
13

Entry into the Customs Union and cooperation with Russia stem from the
interests of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the head of Orinats Yerkir
parliamentary faction Heghine Biasharian stated during a briefing in
the Armenian parliament today.

“The interests of the two states should not be separated. First of
all, the security issue should be taken into account and then we can
talk about the economic bloc,” she said.

H. Bisharian expressed hope that the Armenian authorities will show
flexibility and Armenia’s relationship with Russia will not impede
its contacts with the European Union. She at the same time expressed
confidence that Armenia-EU relations will remain at the same level
as before.

As regards the protests staged in Armenia in connection with the
decision about entry into the Customs Union, Heghine Bisharian said
that although society is complaining now, on the whole, the Armenians
are in favor of closer ties with Russia.

In her words, almost every Armenian family has relatives or friends
in Russia. Therefore all Armenians want their compatriots to feel at
ease in Russia.

TODAY, 14:40

Aysor.am

HRAPARAK: EX-MAYOR OF GYUMRI MET WITH PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER

Friday,
September
13

Ex-mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasian appeared in Armenia’s National
Assembly yesterday, ‘Hraparak’ says. He was accompanied by Hovhannes
Margarian, member of Orinats Yerkir parliamentary faction.

“The paper was informed that Ghukasian met with the parliamentary
speaker and asked for help concerning Hovhannes Grkikian (with whom the
ex-mayor is on friendly terms), former head of the urban development
department of the Gyumri Municipality. Grkikian was detained as a
result of checks in the municipality”.

TODAY, 13:13

Aysor.am

AUDITORS SENT TO AMERIABANK UNCOVER LOAN VIOLATIONS AT THE HEART OF OFFSHORE SCANDAL

13:03, September 13, 2013

A Hetq source at AmeriaBank claims that three weeks ago a team of
auditors was sent from Moscow to look into loans made by the bank
that eventually “disappeared” in a maze of offshore translations.

The source says that the auditors were sent at the urging of Ruben
Vardanyan, a businessman based in Moscow who is also an AmeriaBank
shareholder.

Hetq broke the story as to how AmerriaBank lent $12 million to one
Ashot Sukiasyan, a diamond jeweler.

>From June 25, 2010 to June 15, 2011, Ashot Sukiasyan received periodic
loans of $10.7 million from AmeriaBank. As collateral, however,
he used companies owned by Paylak Hayrapetyan and the latter’s son.

Receiving the money, however, Sukiasyan failed to abide by the loan
agreement conditions and the business plan he had presented. But this
didn’t prevent AmeriaBank to continue freely transferring amounts to
several bank accounts owned by companies registered in Cyprus.

According to instructions of the Dzoragyugh Production Cooperative,
AmeriaBank wired some $9,370,450 of the loan monies transferred to
the cooperative’s bank account to the accounts of several offshore
companies held at the Hellenic Bank Publik Company of Cyprus. The
loan monies were transferred to:

A.B.S. GLOBAL LIMITED- $7,020,450

WLISPERA HOLDINGS LIMITED- $350,000

STR EMERALD LIMITED- $2,000,000

According to documents obtained by Hetq, RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan and Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan, Locum Tenens of the Ararat
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, are shareholders in Wlispera
and A.B.S. Global Ltd.

The Hetq source claims that the auditors found a number of glaring
violations in the loan package that might led to a number of heads
rolling in upper management.

(Photo, left to right: Artak Hanesyan, Andrey Lazarian, Gagik
Sahakyan)

EU DELEGATION TO ARMENIA ALSO VOICES CONCERN ABOUT ATTACKS ON CIVIL ACTIVISTS

11:32, September 13, 2013

The European Union Delegation issued the following statement

The EU Delegation expresses its deep concern at recent incidents in
Yerevaninvolving attacks on members of civil society as well as cases
of intimidation targeting human rights defenders.

The EU Delegation calls upon the Armenian authorities to take prompt
and decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice without delay.

The EU Delegation recalls that respect for democratic principles,
human rights and fundamental freedoms remain essential elements in
the European Union’s bilateral agenda with Armenia.

“FACTHEBER”: AZERBAIJANI TERRORISTS FIGHTING IN SYRIA ARE NOT LIABLE IN THEIR HOMELAND

10:00 13/09/2013 ” REGION

“According to unofficial data, about 250 Azerbaijani Wahhabis are
fighting today in Syria. Also there are a lot of “mujahideens”
who have been wounded and have returned home. But the question is,
whether these Azerbaijanis will be criminally liable for their
return to Azerbaijan?” reads the article of Hayal Shukur, published
in Azerbaijani website “Factheber.”

The author notes that Azerbaijan is often quoted as a country that
is fighting the terrorism, however on this background the Azerbaijani
terrorists are fighting in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The article
says that in addition to disseminated information about the deaths
of Azerbaijani Wahhabis, fighting among terrorist groups in Syria,
also their bodies were sent out.

Hayal Shukur wonders whether the Azerbaijani citizens carry criminal
responsibility by the law, for joining the armed terrorist groups in
foreign countries. Prominent lawyer, Aslan Ismailov and expert of
Scientific and Practical Law Center, a former police chief Mahmoud
Hajiyev, expressed interesting views in this regard.

Aslan Ismailov noted, “In Azerbaijan they are held criminally liable
only for violations committed inside the country. The criminal may
be prosecuted for a crime committed in a foreign country only if
the law enforcement agencies of that state appeal to Azerbaijan in
connection with this crime. The same applies to the abovementioned
Wahhabis. They can be arrested only upon presentation of evidence by
the Syrian authorities on this regard.”

In his turn Mahmoud Hajiyev, noted that there are a lot of gaps in the
Azerbaijani legislation, and the Azerbaijani MPs manipulate the laws.

“Are the laws in the country observed to talk about the responsibility
for the crimes [committed] out of the country? You must first correct
the errors in the country in order to get to the other countries. Our
legislation does not have an act, concerning the Azerbaijanis fighting
abroad,” he said and noted that the process of Azerbaijani citizens
joining the foreign armed groups became widespread in the past
few years.

During the last period the media reports about a number of deaths of
Azerbaijani terrorists in Syria. In early April, the Turkish sites have
reported that about 30 terrorists from Azerbaijan have already been
killed in Syria. According to the Azerbaijani conflict scientist Arif
Yunus more than 300 Islamists from Azerbaijan are fighting in Syria,
Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, according to Arif Yunus and the
“Facthaber” portal, over 100 Azerbaijani terrorists are fighting in
Syria. Azerbaijani terrorists had even placed an online video-record
calling for “jihad.”

The relationship between international terrorist groups and Azerbaijan
originated in the early 1990s. That time, the Azerbaijani army,
having failed in the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
(NKR), retreated with losses. Trying to save the situation, the
Azerbaijani leadership, headed by Heydar Aliyev involved in the war
carried out against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh international
terrorists and members of radical groups from Afghanistan (groupings
of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar), Turkey (“Grey Wolves”, etc.), Chechnya
(groupings Basayev and Raduyev etc.) and some other regions.

Despite the involvement of thousands of foreign mercenaries and
terrorists in the Azerbaijani army during the war, the Azerbaijani
aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic failed, and the
authorities of Baku were forced to sign an armistice with the NKR and
Armenia. However, international terrorists found ties in Azerbaijan,
and used them in the future. Recruitment was carried out among
the Azerbaijanis, who then were sent to Afghanistan and the North
Caucasus, where participated in the battles against the forces of
the international coalition and Russian institutions.

In recent years, the citizens of Azerbaijan are actively involved in
terrorist and extremist activities in Russia, Afghanistan and Syria.

In Azerbaijan the citizens are brought to criminal liability for
participating in “illegal paramilitary groups” in Afghanistan,
sentenced to minor terms of imprisonment.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

NKR FM: DISSEMINATION OF COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT ARTSAKH IN THE WORLD CONTRIBUTES TO ITS INTEGRATION INTO INTERNATIONAL PROCESSES

by Ashot Safaryan

ARMINFO
Friday, September 13, 12:18

On September 12 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic Karen Mirzoyan met with Jurgen Klimke, member of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the German Parliament – Bundestag who was in
Stepanakert on a familiarization visit, NKR Foreign Ministtry reported.

Welcoming the visit of Jurgen Klimke to the NKR, Karen Mirzoyan noted
that it was a good opportunity for the German MP to get acquainted with
the positive developments in the NKR and get answers to questions
he was interested in. Noting the importance of visits by the
representatives of various countries to Artsakh that have recently
become more frequent, Karen Mirzoyan come out for dissemination
of comprehensive information about Artsakh in the world and its
integration in international processes.

During the meeting, Karen Mirzoyan presented the current stage of
the settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The sides also touched upon a range of issues of mutual interest.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN ARRIVES IN YEREVAN TO ATTEND THIRD INFORMAL EASTERN PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUE IN YEREVAN

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Friday, September 13, 12:12

Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev has
arrived in Yerevan to attend the third Informal Eastern Partnership
Dialogue in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13 September, ahead of the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November.

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the EU Fuad Iskenderov will also attend
the meeting.

On September 3, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan confirmed Armenia’s
intention to join the Customs Union and contribute to the process of
formation of the Eurasian Union. Vladimir Putin supported Sargsyan’s
decision and promised to contribute to Yerevan’s accession to the
Customs Union in every possible way. Since 2010 Yerevan has been
negotiating on Association Agreement (AA) and Deep and Comprehensive
Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with the EU. Armenia was expected to initial
the AA/DCFTA during the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius.

From: Baghdasarian

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS ON ARMENIA POLICE CHIEF AND HEAD OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE TO FIND AND PUNISH THOSE WHICH WERE GUILTY FOR ATTACKING CIVIC ACTIVISTS
by Ashot Safaryan

ARMINFO
Thursday, September 12, 21:40

Human Rights Watch urges Armenia Police Chief, Vladimir Gasparyan,
and Head of Special Investigative Service, Vahram Shahinyan, to take
all appropriate measures to promptly, thoroughly, and effectively
investigate the attacks, identify and bring the perpetrators
to justice, and make clear that such violence against peaceful
demonstrators will be neither tolerated nor condoned. In his letter,
Hugh Williamson, Director Europe and Central Asia division Human
Rights Watch, worries about the growth of the violence cases against
the participants in the peaceful demonstrations and actions in Yerevan.

“In the attacks that Human Rights Watch documented, unidentified men
in civilian clothes set upon individual demonstrators late at night
after they left the protest venues. Victims of the attacks sustained
multiple bruises, including light concussions, a broken nose, and
broken bones. In all five cases, police took victims’ reports and in
one case police took the victim to the crime scene. Unfortunately,
to the best of our knowledge, police have not taken further steps
to identify and apprehend the assailants in these cases, even when
one of the victims was able to identify those he suspected of being
his attackers.

The five people whom Human Rights Watch interviewed had been involved
in protests held in front of the city municipal building and the
ruling Republican Party headquarters. They were attacked in three
separate incidents”, – the letter says.

“We urge you to take immediate steps to conduct comprehensive
investigations into all allegations of attacks against peaceful
demonstrators. Such investigations should be conclusive, public,
involve the participation of the victims, and be capable of leading to
the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators. Accountability
for these assaults is essential to demonstrate the government’s
commitment to justice and to prevent any attempts to attack freedom of
assembly. Finding and prosecuting the perpetrators would demonstrate
that the authorities are not condoning or tolerating such violence”,
– the letter says.

ACTIVISTS: REPRESSIONS REACHED THE SITUATION WHEN CITIZENS CANNOT GO TO THE STREET TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS
by Karina Manukyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, September 12, 21:35

Participants in the civic movement “We pay 100 drams” are displeased
with the fact that the Police are not in a hurry to detect the persons
guilty of physical violence against the activists

As an activist Ruzanna Grigoryan said at today’s press-conference,
since the end of July, when they started the movement against the
transport fare hike, 10 cases of violence against activists have
been fixed. She did not rule out that criminal elements could use
violence, but the Police did not make answerable those which were
guilty for the cases of violence. Moreover, policemen themselves
hinder holding of peaceful protest actions and detained activists
without any legal basis.

She recalled that the right for holding of peaceful actions is fixed in
the Constitution of Armenia. However, this point is directly broken,
she said and added that sometimes policemen themselves used force
against activists, for instance, against Argishti Kiviryan. As a
result, repressions reached the situation when citizens cannot go to
the street to protect their rights, she said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress