Author: Kalantarian Kevo

NO CHAMBER OF CONTROL: PLUNDER OF STATE BUDGET GOES UNPUNISHED

SOCIETY | 18.06.13 | 16:12

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By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

At the special parliament session on Monday the discussion of the
Control Chamber’s report for 2012 continued, during which the country’s
top figures talked about the “misused funds” from the state budget of
Armenia and suggested that criminal liability be applied to prevent
further pocketing of taxpayers’ money by state officials.

The discussions started last week, when Control Chamber (CC) chairman
Ishkhan Zakaryan presented the CC report for 2012 to the Armenian
law-makers, reflecting serious misappropriation and misuse of money
in the spheres of construction and state procurement.

The Control Chamber, which by the power of the Constitution is
an independent state body, registers violations at various state
departments and ministries led by the representatives of the political
forces comprising the country leadership. Nonetheless, it did not
prevent many among the ruling Republicans, including the parliament
speaker, from expressing their astonishment at the fact that the
taxpayers’ money has been misappropriated by officials. Meanwhile
seems many observers that the state budget is being “robbed” with
the permission of the highest circles of power, and the lower circles
get their share.

“In reality there are certain people ‘engorging’ the budget. How do
those officials respond when you tell them that they have pocketed
ten million, twenty million [drams] ($25,000, $50,000)? There are
no irreplaceable officials, we have to get rid of those involved in
plunder,” said speaker Hovik Abrahamyan.

On September 16 of 2012, President Serzh Sargsyan, assessing the
four-year government plan, said in reference to “kickbacks”, that
in order to eliminate those “the big fish have to be caught from
the head”.

Deputy prime minister Armen Grigoryan, territorial administration
minister, said in his parliament speech that the government had
taken respective measures for all the CC reported cases, however,
by the law, they are not criminally liable, and only economic or
civil penalty is provided for; in other words the pocketed money is
returned to the state budget, the case is closed, end of story.

“Maybe criminal liability should become a constituent element in those
processes, which, we believe, is an issue of improving the acting
legislation regulating that field. The CC does not make full use of
its authority granted to it by the law in referring suspicious cases
to the Prosecutor General’s office. We strongly believe that Point
4 of Article 6 of the law On Control Chamber is not used to its best
advantage either: CC should send cases with suspicious legal-criminal
violations registered during their monitoring and reporting to the
Prosecutor General’s office,” said the deputy prime minister.

Zakaryan stated that only one case has been sent to the Prosecutor
General’s office and it was related to the violations discovered at
the justice ministry.

So far only one official – Vazgen Khachikyan, head of the social
welfare department at the ministry of labor and social affairs –
has been punished as a result of the CC monitoring. Khachikyan was
accused of abuse of power. Between 2006 and 2010, together with
a number of officials and people in charge of the same department,
Khachikyan embezzled 260.9 million drams’ worth of retirement pensions
($636, 480).

ISTANBUL’S GEZI PARK BUILT IN PLACE OF ARMENIAN CEMETERY

03:50 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Armenians may make use of the ongoing protests in Turkey against a
government plan to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park adjoining Taksim,
Turkologist Artak Shakaryan told yerkir.am.

He says Armenian cemetery was in the place of the present park.

Besides, there are many hotels and numerous shopping and entertainment
centers, even the building of TRT TV which Turks want to donate to
the UN. The building will house the UN regional structures. All the
aforesaid have been constructed on the Armenian burial ground.

“When we emphasize the universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide
before 2015, we, first of all, speak about our claims, which also
include our cemeteries that were illegally seized from us,” he said.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Thanksgiving Prayer to celebrate the 18th Anniversary of the Consecration of
Catholicos Aram I

Antelias – 16 June 2013. On Sunday, during the Holy Liturgy, a special
thanksgiving prayer service was held to celebrate the 18th anniversary of
the consecration of His Holiness Aram I as Catholicos of Cilicia. After the
Biblical readings, Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Prelate of Tehran, the
celebrant of the day, described Catholicos Aram I as the shepherd who not
only led the flock, but also gave worldwide visibility to the Catholicosate
of Cilicia, carving a role for the Church on ecumenical, international and
local levels. He then prayed for the Catholicos’ health and wished him long
life on behalf of the clergy and laity.

At the end of the liturgy, the members of the clergy, members of the General
Assembly and the faithful met at the Main Hall of the Catholicosate. His
Holiness Aram I first distributed the awards to students who had won the
school competitions in Armenian language, history and culture organized by
the Khatchik Babikian Foundation; he then thanked everyone for the
anniversary celebrations and said, “As servants of the Church, our journey
of service is expressed in through different gifts and in different forms.
However the essence of the journey of the Armenian clergy is “Christ’s way”.

Thanksgiving celebrations ended with the participants congratulating His
Holinesss Aram I and receiving his blessing.

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Vartan Gregorian, former Brown president, visits Providence school
named in his honor

June 18, 2013 3:36 pm
By Kate Bramson

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The city’s Vartan Gregorian Elementary School on
Tuesday celebrated the promotion of its fifth-graders onto middle
school with a “clap-out ceremony” that has become a tradition, in
which the younger grades and their teachers stand against the hallway
walls and applaud as the fifth-graders walk the corridors to the
auditorium.

This year, a special guest walked with them through the hallways —
the man for whom the school is named. Vartan Gregorian, once Brown
University’s 16th president, is now president of the grant-making
Carnegie Corporation in New York.

Before the ceremony, he met with students from the school’s eNewspaper
club, after third-grade club member Sasha Missiuro wrote him a letter,
asking about his childhood and early education and inviting him to
meet with them.

“Nobody like you is going to come again,” he told the club. “I want
each one of you to remember — not me, but you. And do justice to your
intellect, and I’d like you to learn, learn, learn.”

KHACHATURIAN’S LEGACY CELEBRATED AT ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK

18:10 19.06.2013
Aram Khachaturian, New York

A concert dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of the great
Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian was held at New York’s St. Vartan
Armenian Cathedral on Wed., June 5. The event was organized under
the auspices of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), and Ambassador Garen
Nazarian, the permanent representative of the Republic of Armenia to
the United Nations.

Karine Poghosyan, an award-winning pianist, performed a program she
created to present the richness and diversity of Khachaturian’s style.

First, there was Khachaturian the lyricist, whose heartwarming
melodies-“Adagio” from “Spartacus” and “Lullaby” from
“Gayaneh”-Poghosyan performed with passion and grace. The program
also highlighted the energetic and rhythmic Khachaturian of his early
piano work “Poem” (1927) and the familiar “Toccata” (1932).

Finally, the audience encountered Khachaturian the innovator-less
well known but all the more powerful and demanding-through his
large-scale piano composition, the “Sonata” (1961). Poghosyan closed
her exhilarating concert with an encore: Khachaturian’s “Waltz”
from the “Masquerade Suite.”

More than 300 people attended the evening concert, including more than
40 United Nations ambassadors and dignitaries. The concert marked
the inaugural 2013-14 Season of “Classical Music, Concerts @ Saint
Vartan.” Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian welcomed the audience and outlined
the objective of the concert series, mentioning that there would be
four more concerts in the coming season. She spoke of Khachaturian’s
lasting legacy and said he enriched human culture with the timeless
beauty of his heritage.

“Music is a universal language of mankind,” said Ambassador Nazarian.

“It touches many hearts, and reminds us of our common humanity and
common responsibility to work together in partnership to spread the
message of solidarity and peace around the world.”

Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian closed the evening with a benediction. A
reception followed. The Very Rev. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian, dean of St.

Vartan Cathedral, was instrumental in organizing the concert.

BRITISH AUTHORITIES ARREST TERRORISTS WHO FOUGHT IN SYRIA

Jun 19, 2013

London, (SANA)- Amid a state of media blackout, British authorities
arrested a group of terrorists who participated in the fighting
in Syria.

Special informed sources from London revealed to the Palestinian
al-Manar newspaper that the British security forces arrested early
June a group of 11 terrorists in London who had come back from Syria
where they were involved in the fighting there.

The sources noted that the group’s members held meetings in Britain
and were carrying out suspicious activities, which led to their arrest.

A number of American and European officials recently warned of the
danger of the European gunmen who are involved in the fighting in
Syria once they return to their home countries having acquired a
great combat experience.

Those gunmen are fighting within the ranks of the armed terrorist
groups coming into Syria across Turkey and funded by the Gulf money.

Al-Manar newspaper quoted the British sources as saying that four of
the arrested terrorists carry the German and Belgian nationalities.

Britain, along with its partner France, have embraced the European
project to supply the terrorists in Syria with arms and sought hard
to recently lift the embargo on providing weapons to the “armed
opposition”.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, recently warned British Prime Minister
David Cameron in an article of the gravity of the step to arm the
“opposition”, saying such a move would be catastrophic as Britain
would be pushing forward with the weapons falling in the hands of
extremist members of al-Qaeda.

In the same context, Belgian Interior Minister, Joëlle Milquet,
recently announced the arrest of four Belgians in Turkey who were
preparing to infiltrate into Syria and fight along the terrorist
groups.

The number of Belgian terrorists who went to fight in Syria is
estimated at 80-100.

British terrorist to Reuters: There is a “waiting list” of people
who volunteered to blow themselves up in Syria

A British terrorist who joined Jabhat al-Nusra five months ago said
that there is a “waiting list” of terrorists who volunteered to carry
out suicide operations in Syria.

The 23-years-old British terrorist, nicknamed Abu Khaled, confessed
in an interview with Reuters correspondent in Salqin city in Idleb
countryside that “sometimes, half of the fighters in the frontlines
are foreigners, especially Libyans and Saudis.”

The Syrian cities have seen scores of suicide attacks by car bombs and
explosive devices that claimed hundreds of lives. The terrorist attacks
drew no condemnation from several countries that back terrorism in
Syria, especially Britain, France, US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Abu Khaled lived in England his whole life, he says, but came to Syria
four or five months ago and joined fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra who
put him on the front lines outside Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

British intelligence officials estimate the numbers of Britons who
have taken up arms alongside Syria’s “armed opposition” at’ dozens,’
which triggered concerns inside the British society.

“His parents were afraid. To call them, he had to ask permission –
his commanders took his cell phone and passport which they said was
to guard against spies,” Reuters said.

When he arrived he found other foreigners in the brigades. Englishmen
from London and Birmingham, an Irishman, Russians from the Chechnya
region, Chinese, Egyptians, Tunisians, Saudi Arabians, Libyans,
others from Denmark, France, and, he tells Reuters, a lot from Sweden.

Abu Khaled said he joined Jabhat al-Nusra, al Qaeda’s affiliate
in Syria which the United States calls a “terrorist organization,”
because he was “drawn to its piety and determination.”

Reuters says that Abu Khaled lived in a barracks, which the group
called a “house,” set up in an abandoned school, villa or hospital
to house 40 or 50 armed men.

The terrorists turned schools, hospitals and houses in Syria into
centers for launching their terrorist attacks as they know that the
Syrian army cares that these institutions are not destroyed, for they
belong to the Syrian people.

When the events broke out in Libya and Syria in 2011, Abu Khaled
went to religious lectures in London, he said. “Some speakers talked
about Syria’s importance in Islamic history, and encouraged Muslims
to go fight.”

Syria has always urged neighboring countries to control borders,
especially that they claim to be seeking a political solution, namely
Turkey that trains terrorists and sends them to join fighting against
the Syrian army.

Syria has repeatedly provided the UN Security Council and the UN
secretary-general with documents and confessions about big numbers
of terrorists who take advantage of neighboring countries’ measures
that facilitate their flow into Syria.

M. Ismael /H. Said

BAGRAT ASATRYAN: GOVERNMENT HAD BETTER SELL ITS SHARE TO PEOPLE

07:13 PM | TODAY | ECONOMY

Economist Bagrat Asatryan suggests that the government sell its 20%
share in the ArmRusGasprom CJSC to its people, instead of Gazprom.

Talking to aravot.am, the former president of the Armenian Central
Bank said if the country really cares for the future of its people,
it will not sell its share to Gazprom.

“If the government intends to sell its share, it should consult with
its people, starting from local businessmen to pensioners. Each of
us will give money from his pockets to acquire the shares. This will
be a profitable deal, as even pensioners can buy shares and have
guaranteed income,” said Mr Bagratyan.

According to reports, Armenia’s minister of energy held a meeting
with Gazprom Board Chairman Alexey Miller to discuss cooperation and
sale of the Armenian government’s 20% share in ArmRusgasprom.

ARMENIAN MIDFIELDER MKHITARYAN OWNS 50% OF HIS TRANSFER RIGHTS

12:48 ~U 19.06.13

The transfer rights of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Armenian national
football team’s midfielder representing Shakhtar, belong to the
Ukrainian club only by 50%.

The other 50% belongs to Ruben Hayrapetyan and Oleg Lazarian, the
owners of Metallurg and Kuban Football Clubs, Sport-Express reported.

England’s Liverpool has been recently interested in the Armenian
midfielder. The British media say he is due to sign a contract with
the team soon.

NKR REMINDS TROIKA ABOUT ITS EXISTENCE

05:30 PM | TODAY | OFFICIAL

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh)
Republic, Karen Mirzoyan, commented on the joint statement issued by
the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states.

“We welcome the interest of the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair states, reflected in their June 18 Joint Statement, in
achieving a sustainable and peaceful settlement of the conflict
between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh,” Minister Mirzoyan said,
according to the ministry’s press office.

“This statement is another proof that the co-chairs are determined
to exclude the possibility of resumption of hostilities and to
contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. At the same
time, we consider it necessary to reiterate our position that the
restoration of full-fledged negotiations with the immediate and direct
participation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in all its stages is
a sin qua non for achieving real progress in the settlement process,
which is strongly hampered by Azerbaijan,” he added.

“We hope that the call to intensify the efforts for a peaceful
settlement will be heard in Azerbaijan and its leadership will
refrain from attempts of a selective interpretation of the norms and
principles of international law, escalation of tensions and mistrust,
as well as ignoring the reality.

Since the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is the most interested party in
finding a way out of the current situation in the negotiation process
and reaching decisions on the issues directly related to the future
of the country and its people, it is ready to further exert efforts
to establish lasting peace and stability,” the NKR official said.

NIKOL PASHINYAN “I DO NOT WANT THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA TO PAY FOR “CON MEN”

Wed, 06/19/2013 – 16:23
News

The comments and actions of the governmental representatives on
the “Tax and customs privileges for “Dilijan International School”
initiative gives grounds to think that it has ties with the recent off
shore scandal. Member of “Armenian National Congress” Nikol Pashinyan
said during today’s session of the National Assembly.

According to the deputy, the program started earlier and the
prerequisite for tax and customs privileges were not there from the
beginning. N,Pashinyan believes that a thing is changing now, ” with
the participation of the head of Government Tigran Sargsyan, with the
blessing of leader of Ararat province of Armenian Apostolic Church
Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, businessman Ashot Sukasyan “dropped”,
sorry for the word, $10 million to “Ameria” bank that belongs to
Ruben Vardanyan.

Opposition MP said that Ruben Vardanyan, who is the chairman of
“Ameria” bank board, is also the initiator of “Dilijan International
School” program.

“So, the project we discuss, we discuss with the strength of the
corruption scandal,” said N. Pashinyan.

Pointing out that he voted against the bill in the first reading, he
said that he will vote against in the second and third reading as well.

According to N. Pashinyan he sympathize Ruben Vardanyan, but he does
not want the Republic of Armenia to pay for “con men” and he considers
the adoption of a similar law is unacceptable as it in fact cleans
the path for “con men”.

“This debate reminds me of the famous “Tales Call” TV program. I hear
unbelievable tales and stories.” The Vice Chairman of the National
Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov said.

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