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MORE REVELATIONS BY CONTROL CHAMBER: SOCIAL SPHERE AGAIN TARGET OF "MOST SHAMELESS ABUSE"
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
12.09.12 | 12:07
Armenia's Control Chamber's annual report for 2011 has once again
revealed that more than $4 million of the country's around $2.5-billion
scarce state budget has been pocketed by some officials.
The audits of a number of government structures this year have shown
that again "the most shameless misuse" of money was the case in the
social sphere.
"This sphere is the most vulnerable, and imagine that the insolence
has reached an extent, when a person born in 1955 receives a war
veteran's pension for participation in the Great Patriotic War
[1941-1945]," Ishkhan Zakaryan, chairman of the Control Chamber,
said presenting the report at the National Assembly.
Pensions have received also deceased pensioners, and the lists of
poverty beneficiaries include also representatives of middle class
involved in private businesses.
Last year more than 150 million drams (around $365,000) was misused
out of the money allotted to social benefits - 30 percent of the state
budget. Despite the fact that the "insolence" has decreased as compared
to the year before (it was revealed that in 2010 some 58,000 deceased
pensioners were receiving pensions and benefits), it is still ongoing.
When at the parliament Zakaryan, sphere by sphere, presented the
embezzlements, NA speaker Hovik Abrahamyan burst out with anger:
"How much longer this has to continue? Every year we report
shortcomings and violations, as well as punitive measures for those
at fault, but the end is nowhere to be seen. There are numerous
violations in all the spheres."
The speaker's outburst raised a legitimate angry response from
oppositional law-makers, who called the whole process a "theatrical
performance".
"If they are so concerned that it "should be punished", why in a
year's time they did not detain the biggest violator and embezzler?"
Heritage faction leader Ruben Hakobyan told ArmeniaNow.
The most scandalous case over the past few years has been when the
Chamber audits revealed around $4 million's worth misappropriation
at the State Service of Social Affairs when it was headed by Vazgen
Khachikyan, who, however, has not been arrested until today.
On Tuesday, when explaining why Khachikyan is not in custody, Zakaryan
said "the investigation is in process, we'll have to wait and see".
Although Khachikyan was dismissed from his position last year,
he's been actively involved in politics, supporting Akhtala mayor
(who happens to be his brother) to get re-elected. Some sources claim
that he has also purchased several mines and from public activities
has switched to running private businesses.
Many have concerns that such impunity not only generates more
misfeasance, but also questions Control Chamber's integrity and
transparency.
Oppositional Armenian National Congress faction MP, former military
prosecutor Gagik Jhangiryan is convinced that the Control Chamber's
"audits are either often ignored" or low-ranking officials become
scapegoats and get criminally prosecuted "to create the appearance
of struggle against corruption and embezzlement in our country".
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
12.09.12 | 12:07
Armenia's Control Chamber's annual report for 2011 has once again
revealed that more than $4 million of the country's around $2.5-billion
scarce state budget has been pocketed by some officials.
The audits of a number of government structures this year have shown
that again "the most shameless misuse" of money was the case in the
social sphere.
"This sphere is the most vulnerable, and imagine that the insolence
has reached an extent, when a person born in 1955 receives a war
veteran's pension for participation in the Great Patriotic War
[1941-1945]," Ishkhan Zakaryan, chairman of the Control Chamber,
said presenting the report at the National Assembly.
Pensions have received also deceased pensioners, and the lists of
poverty beneficiaries include also representatives of middle class
involved in private businesses.
Last year more than 150 million drams (around $365,000) was misused
out of the money allotted to social benefits - 30 percent of the state
budget. Despite the fact that the "insolence" has decreased as compared
to the year before (it was revealed that in 2010 some 58,000 deceased
pensioners were receiving pensions and benefits), it is still ongoing.
When at the parliament Zakaryan, sphere by sphere, presented the
embezzlements, NA speaker Hovik Abrahamyan burst out with anger:
"How much longer this has to continue? Every year we report
shortcomings and violations, as well as punitive measures for those
at fault, but the end is nowhere to be seen. There are numerous
violations in all the spheres."
The speaker's outburst raised a legitimate angry response from
oppositional law-makers, who called the whole process a "theatrical
performance".
"If they are so concerned that it "should be punished", why in a
year's time they did not detain the biggest violator and embezzler?"
Heritage faction leader Ruben Hakobyan told ArmeniaNow.
The most scandalous case over the past few years has been when the
Chamber audits revealed around $4 million's worth misappropriation
at the State Service of Social Affairs when it was headed by Vazgen
Khachikyan, who, however, has not been arrested until today.
On Tuesday, when explaining why Khachikyan is not in custody, Zakaryan
said "the investigation is in process, we'll have to wait and see".
Although Khachikyan was dismissed from his position last year,
he's been actively involved in politics, supporting Akhtala mayor
(who happens to be his brother) to get re-elected. Some sources claim
that he has also purchased several mines and from public activities
has switched to running private businesses.
Many have concerns that such impunity not only generates more
misfeasance, but also questions Control Chamber's integrity and
transparency.
Oppositional Armenian National Congress faction MP, former military
prosecutor Gagik Jhangiryan is convinced that the Control Chamber's
"audits are either often ignored" or low-ranking officials become
scapegoats and get criminally prosecuted "to create the appearance
of struggle against corruption and embezzlement in our country".