2018 September 3

Anti-Corruption Daily

Anti-Corruption Sep/3/2018: a new March 1st investigation; a former province governor faces criminal charges; 5 more forestry employees charged with deforestation; (MORE BELOW)
by ar_david_hh

Disclaimer: All the accused are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, even if they may sound as being guilty. Currency in Armenian Drams ֏ unless specified otherwise.

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New criminal case around March 1st. On that day, the police entered the public square at 6:30AM and violently dispersed the sleeping demonstrators, and subsequently prohibited them from gathering in other areas. Later, Serj Sargsyan created a commission to find out if the police elections where legal. The high ranking police officers in charge of the investigation are now accused of falsifying documents with fake information to make the police actions appear legal https://news.am/arm/news/469084.html

The former governor of Aragatsotn faces criminal charges for improper use of funds during a AMD 30mln water canal project in Nerqin Bazmaberd. Allegedly, the construction company faked the documents showing its completion in order to receive the funds, while the governor instructed the observing commission members to sign the document confirming the work. After several members refused to sign, he placed his signature and authorized the embezzlement of AMD 11mln https://armenpress.am/arm/news/945901/

5 more Dilijan forestry employees are indicted on illegal deforestation charges. Hundreds of trees were cut throughout 2014-17 and over AMD 100mln damage done to the state https://armenpress.am/arm/news/945907/

GOT AWAY THIS TIME! Prosecutors in Armavir have launched a criminal case against a man and his relative for attempting to bribe the local military commissar to have the man’s son serve in a preferred area. The relative is charged for stealing the money, instead of passing it to the commissar. The commissar himself isn’t charged because there is not enough evidence he requested the bribe, or if he would've taken it https://armlur.am/834953/

PM Pashinyan says the telephone roaming is more expensive to Artsakh Republic because of monopoly there. Says currently there are companies that are interested in competing. In recent times, however, the price went down from 43c to 8c per minute http://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/143486

A commission is created to investigate the electricity prices. Pashinyan says there are 500 workers receiving AMD 3bln in salaries annually, who don’t really need to be there due to a work redundancy, but says firing them all together with a stroke of a pen is wrong. Reminds that gas and electricity prices were recently lowered for low income consumers https://armenpress.am/arm/news/945808/

ARF, BHK and Defense Minister criticize CCP mayoral candidate Hayk Marutyan for saying there are only good and bad forces in Armenia today, and that their party is the only good one, and that there is no game against them. www.hraparak.am/posts/5b8d0c5e7e644806ab27f769/ինքն-արդեն-ինչոր-չափով-իր-սխալն-ընդունել-է-լենա-նազարյանը-հայկոյի-ելույթի-մասին ----- https://news.am/arm/news/469082.html

Ekhegnut residents came to Yerevan gov building to protest their local government. The HHK mayor, accused of plundering the community for decades, was forced to resign after protests. However, his resignation was not accepted by the 7 municipality council members, 5 of whom happen to be directly related to the mayor. The mayor was trying to return. The residents call the council actions a “treason” https://armlur.am/836052/

.... the governor of Armavir says there has already been an audit in Ekhegnut showing improper management, and the information was submitted to the law enforcement. Also says the law prohibits the municipality council from keeping the mayor in position if the latter asks for resignation. Says he has appointed a temporary acting mayor after signing an order relieving the former one from his position https://armlur.am/836056/

Armenia congratulates the Republic Artsakh with the 27th anniversary of the declaration of independence https://armenpress.am/arm/news/945775/

National artist Hamlet Grigoryan was about to move to Moscow for a permanent residence, when the revolution happened, and it made him change his mind https://armlur.am/835318/

... and so does actor Ashot Edigaryan and his actress daughter https://armlur.am/835536/

10.2% increase in tourism on 2018H1. Total 686k visitors. 27% were from former USSR, 24% EU, 49% other. The 52% came for recreational purposes, 23% work visit, 1.5% medical tourism. The internal tourism has risen by 17.1%. https://news.am/arm/news/469086.html

Minister of Finances says beginning May, various businesses have submitted investment ideas worth $1bln, out if which $240mln can be implemented with high certainty https://armenpress.am/arm/news/945851/

... says it’s unfair to compare today’s economic growth numbers with early 2000s, like Robert Kocharyan likes to do to bolster his record, because those were economic recovery times and double digit growth were expected https://news.am/arm/news/469107.html

PM office adopts a measure to help small scale producers compete with large scale importers in certain fields https://news.am/arm/news/469170.html

Some businesses are complaining on front of the government building because their black/white school uniforms don't sell well after the Education Ministry instructed the schools to no longer require black/white uniforms, and to give the students a choice. Anonymous sources say Araik Harutyunyan had his nerves surgically pulled out before becoming a Minister https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZpffhgwZLE

Astghik Hakobyan wins Silver medal in U14 European chess competition https://armenpress.am/arm/news/945852/

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/9cpe52/anticorruption_sep32018_a_new_march_1st/