2018 October 3

Anti-Corruption Daily

Anti-Corruption Oct/3/2018: 🍿 More government workers indicted on fraud and embezzlement charges, hospital and university administration too; HHK/BHK/ARF vs QP battle continues.
by ar_david_hh

All the accused are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law. Currency in Armenian Drams unless specified otherwise.

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Several low income residents of Shirak province have contacted the authorities with a complaint that during 2008-2018, three social security workers of Shirak governor’s office have abused their powers to extort money from the low income individuals in exchange for keeping them on the list of aid recipients. Criminal cases are launched against the officials for abuse of power and embezzlement http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145544

Update on those car servicing companies that got caught dodging taxes. They’ve increased the payments to AMD 311mln as of right now. 28 criminal cases are still open http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145545

Martuni medical center’s director is under an investigation. He is accused of stealing the donated medical vehicle on 2004 https://factor.am/87890.html

A student has provided details to the police about how the administration of Northern University offered him a diploma without attending the classes in exchange for money. The police has launched a criminal investigation https://armlur.am/844454/

HHK Ashotyan has criticized Pashinyan and called for him to restrain the crowd after rumors were spread that an ARF MP was pushed aside while trying to enter the Parliament building. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145561

... the ARF MP herself denies the reports http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145568

... Ashotyan then criticized the crowd for damaging official cars after entering the Parliament area.

... Parliamentary staff coordinator dismissed the information that the protesters damaged the property. Earlier, two HHK members said their car tires were slashed, but refused to give more details or cooperate with the police http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145563

While yesterday’s Parliament protests were finishing, Actor Armen Avetyan says the bodyguards of HHK MPs Mihran Poghosyan (the guy with offshore companies according to PanamaLeaks) and Avshari Arayik, got out of the Parliament and started verbally abusing the protesters who were preparing to leave. They allegedly physically assaulted the actor and caused damage to his car. The incident was partially caught on camera. The police has launched an investigation and already brought in two people for questioning http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145546

... Pashinyan says more bodyguard faces will meet the asphalt if events like these happen. Says the witnesses report that Poghosyan himself was at the scene and he was participating in the events (Poghosyan has denied it). If it’s true, it’s very disappointing and they haven’t learned anything, and that this will only anger the public and make it harder to protect those MPs’ security while they’re out in the public, said Pashinyan. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145555

Some argue that the reason why HHK/ARF/BHK wants the elections be postponed until May-June, is because it will mark the 1st anniversary of Pashinyan being in office. This gives the Parliament the right to dismiss him as Prime Minister by voting no-confidence http://panarmenian.net/m/arm/news/260807

ARF says they have never attempted to sabotage the snap elections. They want it done in May so they’ll have enough time to pass several reforms, such as reducing Prime Minister’s authority over the police force and granting the Parliament more power over it https://news.am/arm/news/474261.html

BHK leadership insists that the snap elections will take place on May of 2019 http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145509

HHK says they will only agree not to vote for any PM candidate if the elections are held on May https://armenpress.am/arm/news/949526.html

BHK allied MP Tigran Urikhanyan says he wasn’t aware of what the October 1st “anti-revolution” bill was about, otherwise he would have voted against it. He was given an incomplete text of the bill. Claims to have been mislead. When he returns from the trip, he plans to demand snap elections or he will resign http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145507

President Sarkissian signs Pashinyan’s papers to relieve ARF and BHK members from the government positions https://armenpress.am/arm/news/949484.html

... he hasn’t signed the controversial bill into law yet. Says he wants to delay it until he returns to Armenia from France, then discuss it with the political parties. Says the Constitution should be respected. The Constitution says 14 days are given to Parliament to elect a new PM. The new bill says the vote can be delayed if there is a special situation (protests) preventing Parliament to vote. HHK has argued that its not anti Constitutional. If Sarkissian submits the bill to Supreme, it could take as long as 3 months before a verdict is made. https://armenpress.am/arm/news/949484.html

... sources close to Sarkissian say he is against the bill and will likely take his time to study its Constitutionality, while also listening to the public opinion. If it’s referred to Supreme and found to be Constitutional, and he still refuses to sign it, the Parliament’s HHK chief has 1 week to sign it https://armlur.am/844336/

BHK’s Naira Zohrabyan is suing several QP members for an alleged defamation for using a bad language against her on Facebook https://news.am/arm/news/474136.html

Minister of Diaspora says investors from USA, France and Egypt are currently holding off investing millions of $ until after the elections http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145551

NSS chief Arthur Vanetsyan has the highest public support among ministers and law enforcement bodies, according to latest survey. Followed by the Defense Minister Tonoyan and the police chief Osipyan. Health minister has received an average score. http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145560

A Tajik cotton grower came to Armenia and invested in a cotton business. His yield was unprecedented, says each units grows 140 cotton balls, which is twice more than he has seen elsewhere. This is the first time in 50 years that cotton is being grown in Armenia at this scale. The 700 hectare land he is working on hasn’t been rented for 30 years. Now he has contracts with the local textile factory and one from China http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145570

Chess Olympiad: Men defeat India (Aronyan drew with Anand), women defeat Iran http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/145573

The PM instructed the Parliament garden doors to be opened to public for an hour every day. He is complaining about the crowd throwing trash. https://youtu.be/eSdxeTpki2E?t=122

... one of our Redditors who was at the protests on October 1st has this to say about it ... https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/9ksb00/anticorruption_oct22018_antirevolution_developing/e723dr3/

YCYL: YOU CRINGE, YOU LOSE! $2,000,000 challenge https://youtu.be/VwRX0mcqSoQ

All the accused are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.

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Link to original report: https://old.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/9l58a7/anticorruption_oct32018_more_government_workers/