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FIGHTING CORRUPTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
Maria Titizian
http://asbarez.com/106718/fighting-corruption-at-the-highest-levels/
Monday, November 26th, 2012
When Investigative Journalism Pays Off
Anyone who lives in Armenia or who follows politics in this country
understands that impunity is one of the causes of widespread
disillusionment, distrust in the justice system and the prevailing
cynicism. These sentiments are grounded in facts and not perceptions
as some things invariably can be in societies where there is no
cohesion or solidarity. There have been countless cases where those
with powerful connections to the ruling regime have been able to
manipulate the system and escape prosecution squandering all hope
for the application of the fundamental precept of equality before
the law for all.
A case in point was the appointment of Gagik Beglaryan as Minister of
Transport and Communication, a potentially "lucrative" posting after
he was forced to resign as mayor of Yerevan for beating up a member
of President Sargsyan's protocol office. The violence was motivated
because this official asked Mr. Beglaryan's wife to change her seat
at a Placido Domingo concert in Yerevan a few years ago.
This is not breaking news, nor has Mr. Beglaryan misbehaved recently,
at least not to my knowledge. However, men like Gagik Beglaryan
(Chorni Gago), Ruben Hayrapetyan (Nemets Rubo), Suren Khatchatryan
(Liska) and many others with similarly colorful nicknames continue
to operate, conduct business, maintain relationships and steer clear
of any recrimination through their very powerful connections and by
having a plethora of volunteers to act as their fall guys. And those
who wield no influence, who do not have access to unlimited amounts
of cash and resources, who are not related to anyone who can provide
them with protection are the ones upon whom the heavy hand of the
law comes to rest.
As long as there is an absence of political will, as long as the
justice system is not independent, as long as society tolerates this
kind of behavior, and as long as mainstream media does not report on
it these men who hold the levers of power are free to act in a manner
which they feel entitled to. It doesn't have to be so. Recently, events
unfolding in Brazil have underscored how persistent, professional and
relentless investigative journalism can bring those whom the justice
system hasn't been able to touch to answer.
On November 12, 2012, Jose Dirceu, former chief-of-staff (2003-2005)
of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula) was
sentenced to almost 11 years for corruption by the country's Supreme
Court. He is known to be the mastermind behind Mensalao, a massive
corruption scheme that diverted public funds to pay legislators in
the ruling coalition to vote in favor of government initiatives.
The verdict was significant for Brazil who suffers from a long
tradition of impunity and absence of freedom of expression and even
more so because it was handed down seven years after the scandal
first broke (and which almost cost Lula his re-election in 2006)
and five years after the Supreme Court decided to hear the case.
Reporting on the verdict, an article in Al Jazeera stated: "The high
profile sentences have been seen by many in Brazil as evidence that
politics is no longer immune from punishment." Reuters reported
the following: "The corruption trial, which has been running live
on Brazilian TV for the last two months, could have repercussions
for future trials involving senior politicians, who have long been
regarded as untouchable."
About a month ago, Transparency International and the Instituto Prensa
y Sociedad (Press and Society Institute, IPYS) gave three Brazilian
journalists, Andreza Matais, Jose Ernesto Credendio and Catia Seabra
the annual Latin American Investigative Journalism Award for their
reporting on the scandal that eventually led to the resignation of
another chief-of-staff, Antonio Palocci (of current president Dilma
Roussef). Their investigative journalism in Folha de Sao Paulo began
with a story about a questionable purchase of a luxury apartment. "As
they followed leads and pieced evidence together, a complex network
of illicit activities came into view, much of it centering on a
consultancy firm in which Palocci was involved."
According to Global Investigative Journalism Network, none of this
would have been possible without the tenacious and fearless reporting
of Brazilian journalists.
Addressing the Latin American Investigative Journalism Conference in
Bogota, David Kaplan of the Global Investigative Journalism Network
said, "If you invest in investigative journalism, you get dividends
in democracy, transparency and accountability."
Could exposing real cases of corruption lead to fundamental changes
in our own country? Perhaps, but it is also true that there have been
cases where criminal activity among the so-called elites of Armenia
have been made public with the same disappointing result - a slap
on the wrist, a forced resignation coupled with a convenient loss of
memory and a promise of a better, more influential appointment at a
later date.
While the Brazilian experience is encouraging, to expect mainstream
broadcast media in Armenia (who is only as free as the president's
office allows it to be) or semi-independent print and web media outfits
to engage in such investigative journalism where we would see the
departure of people who abuse their positions of power and influence
might be premature because of the atmosphere of fear which persists.
Forcing accountability and "encouraging" the executive branch of
government to release the chains around the judiciary's neck so that
it can ensure the equal application of the law will come about when
we liberate the individual, the reporter, the anchor, the editor,
the writer, the media mogul from the chains of their own forbearance.
Investigative journalism, citizen journalism, and social media will
be effective tools only when we begin to believe that we are free.
The consequences of that freedom might be threats and intimidation
which might deter the journalist from reporting on cases of abuse
and blatant corruption. However, if all those who report the news,
also support one another, exercise their civic rights, express their
solidarity with one another, mobilize society to join forces, then
not even the long arm of our privileged elite can touch them. Yes,
the Brazilian example is encouraging and we should learn from it by
applying constant, consistent and unrelenting pressure by reporting,
elucidating and enlightening fearlessly. The dividends for democracy,
transparency and accountability will far outweigh the consequences
for all of us.
From: A. Papazian
Maria Titizian
http://asbarez.com/106718/fighting-corruption-at-the-highest-levels/
Monday, November 26th, 2012
When Investigative Journalism Pays Off
Anyone who lives in Armenia or who follows politics in this country
understands that impunity is one of the causes of widespread
disillusionment, distrust in the justice system and the prevailing
cynicism. These sentiments are grounded in facts and not perceptions
as some things invariably can be in societies where there is no
cohesion or solidarity. There have been countless cases where those
with powerful connections to the ruling regime have been able to
manipulate the system and escape prosecution squandering all hope
for the application of the fundamental precept of equality before
the law for all.
A case in point was the appointment of Gagik Beglaryan as Minister of
Transport and Communication, a potentially "lucrative" posting after
he was forced to resign as mayor of Yerevan for beating up a member
of President Sargsyan's protocol office. The violence was motivated
because this official asked Mr. Beglaryan's wife to change her seat
at a Placido Domingo concert in Yerevan a few years ago.
This is not breaking news, nor has Mr. Beglaryan misbehaved recently,
at least not to my knowledge. However, men like Gagik Beglaryan
(Chorni Gago), Ruben Hayrapetyan (Nemets Rubo), Suren Khatchatryan
(Liska) and many others with similarly colorful nicknames continue
to operate, conduct business, maintain relationships and steer clear
of any recrimination through their very powerful connections and by
having a plethora of volunteers to act as their fall guys. And those
who wield no influence, who do not have access to unlimited amounts
of cash and resources, who are not related to anyone who can provide
them with protection are the ones upon whom the heavy hand of the
law comes to rest.
As long as there is an absence of political will, as long as the
justice system is not independent, as long as society tolerates this
kind of behavior, and as long as mainstream media does not report on
it these men who hold the levers of power are free to act in a manner
which they feel entitled to. It doesn't have to be so. Recently, events
unfolding in Brazil have underscored how persistent, professional and
relentless investigative journalism can bring those whom the justice
system hasn't been able to touch to answer.
On November 12, 2012, Jose Dirceu, former chief-of-staff (2003-2005)
of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula) was
sentenced to almost 11 years for corruption by the country's Supreme
Court. He is known to be the mastermind behind Mensalao, a massive
corruption scheme that diverted public funds to pay legislators in
the ruling coalition to vote in favor of government initiatives.
The verdict was significant for Brazil who suffers from a long
tradition of impunity and absence of freedom of expression and even
more so because it was handed down seven years after the scandal
first broke (and which almost cost Lula his re-election in 2006)
and five years after the Supreme Court decided to hear the case.
Reporting on the verdict, an article in Al Jazeera stated: "The high
profile sentences have been seen by many in Brazil as evidence that
politics is no longer immune from punishment." Reuters reported
the following: "The corruption trial, which has been running live
on Brazilian TV for the last two months, could have repercussions
for future trials involving senior politicians, who have long been
regarded as untouchable."
About a month ago, Transparency International and the Instituto Prensa
y Sociedad (Press and Society Institute, IPYS) gave three Brazilian
journalists, Andreza Matais, Jose Ernesto Credendio and Catia Seabra
the annual Latin American Investigative Journalism Award for their
reporting on the scandal that eventually led to the resignation of
another chief-of-staff, Antonio Palocci (of current president Dilma
Roussef). Their investigative journalism in Folha de Sao Paulo began
with a story about a questionable purchase of a luxury apartment. "As
they followed leads and pieced evidence together, a complex network
of illicit activities came into view, much of it centering on a
consultancy firm in which Palocci was involved."
According to Global Investigative Journalism Network, none of this
would have been possible without the tenacious and fearless reporting
of Brazilian journalists.
Addressing the Latin American Investigative Journalism Conference in
Bogota, David Kaplan of the Global Investigative Journalism Network
said, "If you invest in investigative journalism, you get dividends
in democracy, transparency and accountability."
Could exposing real cases of corruption lead to fundamental changes
in our own country? Perhaps, but it is also true that there have been
cases where criminal activity among the so-called elites of Armenia
have been made public with the same disappointing result - a slap
on the wrist, a forced resignation coupled with a convenient loss of
memory and a promise of a better, more influential appointment at a
later date.
While the Brazilian experience is encouraging, to expect mainstream
broadcast media in Armenia (who is only as free as the president's
office allows it to be) or semi-independent print and web media outfits
to engage in such investigative journalism where we would see the
departure of people who abuse their positions of power and influence
might be premature because of the atmosphere of fear which persists.
Forcing accountability and "encouraging" the executive branch of
government to release the chains around the judiciary's neck so that
it can ensure the equal application of the law will come about when
we liberate the individual, the reporter, the anchor, the editor,
the writer, the media mogul from the chains of their own forbearance.
Investigative journalism, citizen journalism, and social media will
be effective tools only when we begin to believe that we are free.
The consequences of that freedom might be threats and intimidation
which might deter the journalist from reporting on cases of abuse
and blatant corruption. However, if all those who report the news,
also support one another, exercise their civic rights, express their
solidarity with one another, mobilize society to join forces, then
not even the long arm of our privileged elite can touch them. Yes,
the Brazilian example is encouraging and we should learn from it by
applying constant, consistent and unrelenting pressure by reporting,
elucidating and enlightening fearlessly. The dividends for democracy,
transparency and accountability will far outweigh the consequences
for all of us.
From: A. Papazian