Caucasus Journalists Network
South Caucasus Monthly Analytical Magazine
Criminals aspire mandates of legislators
Edik Baghdasaryan
It is already noticeable that in Armenia there is a group of people, for whom laws do not exist. They are not high ranked officials but they travel throughout the city, accompanied by a cortege of cars with darkened windows. The road police salute them, when they are passing. These cars are not difficult to recognize, because, as a rule, they have similar car plates showing their belonging to a team of this or that oligarch.
These groups of people-clans- have monopoly in different spheres of economy. They intend to keep on their positions at any price. People, who became rich by illegal means, intersected with the government, including the law enforcement bodies. Some of them during the last Parliamentary elections "conquered" the National Assembly: they managed to buy the required number of votes and obtain the deputy immunity (according to legislation of the Republic of Armenia, deputies of the National Assembly have a right to immunity). Almost all political parties during the last parliamentary elections in their election campaigns mentioned about the necessity to remove this privilege. Today, several months after elections, nobody talks about it. Habits and practice of people spending their time in casinos, restaurants and saunas and whom the public recognizes not by names but nicknames, entered the legislative body. Someone in a conversation called this process "a criminal revolution". In Armenia a new system of values is forming, dictated by those who became rich by illegal means.
Sometimes as in Sicily
Mafia structures, clans, continuously conduct internal wars, assured that they will not be punished. They kill because it is possible and because it is profitable for their business. The struggle between the clan groupings sometimes becomes furious. This is noticeable in the information provided by the national police.
President of the party "National Security" Garnik Isagulyan, in an interview to "Haykakan Zhamanak", commented on the current situation in the country and mentioned that "there are people who through criminal means could become owners of big sums of money and though the same course, obtained power and, finally, obsessed wide economic means. These means they transferred into political arena and now they possess political power too. They don't act alone, they have own clans and with clans' assistance they get even with their opponents-competitors." To understand the situation of the period prior this interview (summer 2003, when another flame of the inter-clan war started), let us cite some information disseminated by informational agencies.
Near the Autoservice hotel in Yerevan city, Mushegh Ayvazian (nickname Mushegh Leningadian-E.B.) was killed with a fire gun. He was once an owner of one of wine factories of Armenia and was recognized as "authority".
On the territory of the Noubarashen disposal tip, Arkadii Gevorkyan, a nephew of the former deputy of the National Assembly Rouben Gevorkian (Tsaghik Roubo), deputy administrator of the Health Department of the
Ministry of Defense of the RA Arik Haroutyunian and a car driver were assassinated. These killings are just one episode of the adversary resistance, continuing already a year. In the other rival group is the deputy of the National Assembly Samvel Alexanian (Lfik Samo). He possesses huge wealth and controls 98% of sugar import into Armenia, as well as significant amount of import of flour and medicine. The fight between both sides has an economic ground. Dozens people from both sides were arrested. In opinion of some people, this fight will not end until the sides do not ruin each other. As our informant from the National Assembly states, until recent killings, twice attempts of killing of Samvel Alexanian took place. He is perceived as a member of a team of Robert Kocharian. During presidential elections, Samvel Alexanian supported Kocharian's candidacy.
In Gyumri a fight between two armed groups took place. Leaders of two sides-Serob Grigoryan, director of Gyumri Trans Llc, a transportation service on the road Yerevan-Gyumri, and Zhirayr Haroutyunian, the former rector of the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute -were assassinated. About a dozen people were wounded. Among victims are occasional passengers. All this happened 50 meters from the Prosecutor's office. The reasons for the fight are economic interests.
On this background the following fact is interesting. In the beginning of June 2003, a group of the most famous on the territory of the former Soviet Union criminals arrived in Yerevan. They came to the anniversary of one of the most reputable criminal of Soviet time "Svoi Raf". Among the criminals was also their "Godfather" Hasan. Recently nowhere in the NIS such a big amount of criminals (31 persons) was not assembled together simultaneously. There was a statement in the Armenian press that the criminals were met by the Chief of Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of RA at the Yerevan airport. In fact, the criminals' security was provided at the state level.
President Robert Kocharian expressed his concerns on the situation in the country at the grand session devoted to 85th anniversary of the Prosecutor's office of the country. "We should not permit a medieval vendetta and criminal thinking. In Armenia racket and blackmailing, criminal revenges and unclean competition should not take place. Recent fight between criminal groups-shootings and killings- raised many questions, answers to which I have not received yet from the prosecutors and the police. The society waits for quick and adequate reaction from the law enforcement bodies", he said. Many people started to perceive this statement adequately, namely, as a concrete course for the law enforcement bodies to "recreate" in the society the feeling of protection and justice. After the speech of the president, information about the forces and efforts of the law enforcement bodies of the country on criminal investigations was provided to the society more often than usually. The structures, implementing campaign for the force ministries, were given special directives and undergone staff changes.
Criminals and the "shadow" of economy.
By the time, the criminal structures in Armenia become more organized and professional. It is already obvious that such a criminal situation is not a heritage, as some public officers like to repeat, but a consequence of difficult social situation and atmosphere of impunity in the country.
About the pattern of this criminal "evolution" said the first Minister of the Internal Affairs Levon Galstyan in the interview to "Haykakan Zhamanak" newspaper. He stated that he is not surprised by the unlawful atmosphere as persons who, by their positions, are responsible for prevention of homicides and crime in general, are busy with advancing their own businesses. In opinion of L. Galstyan, even the president is not able to "curb" criminal elements, as he was elected to his post due to assistance of these elements.
Interests of the criminal structures towards financial sphere are increasing. The criminal lawyer endeavors to enter the power structures. In this term, the strong attention of the law enforcement bodies to economic crimes becomes clear. However, all this cannot bring any results, as representatives of the law enforcement bodies themselves are involved in business structures. Employees of these bodies have their share in joint business with different entrepreneurs. To hide it, they register their wealth on the names of their mother-in-laws, friends and relatives.
Powers and supporting parties, especially during election campaigns, promised to struggle against corruption. Today President of the RA has even an advisor on these questions. Nevertheless, all this is fiction, as corruption is legalized with support of these powers. Facts published in the mass media in some cases become matters of investigation by the law enforcement bodies and the Control Service of the President. However, each time, when involvement of a high-ranked officer becomes apparent, the process stops.
According to unofficial data, and estimation of different specialists, a "shadow economy" in Armenia makes from 50% to 70%. In which spheres of production more "shadow" is, the powers know the best. The law enforcement bodies, service of the national security have safeguarded all documents about shadow enterprises. Lack of political will or feeling of danger prevents the government to act decisively. In 1999, a plan to combat corruption was developing with support of the Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, and he attempted to take serious measures in this direction. On October 27th of the same year he was assassinated in the Parliament. By the way, before taking the post of the Prime Minister, he was sponsoring significant re-allocations in the economy. Taking over the government of the country, he understood how continuation of this process can turn around. There are political activists who believe this circumstance was the main reason for his liquidation.
In general, people, who suffer from corruption in the government and from pushing the economy into the "shadow", i.e. average citizens do not talk about necessity to fight corruption. As always, this becomes a common talk for those who have real opportunities to prevent and punish corruption and crime, i.e. high ranked officials.
---
http://www.caucasusjournalists.net/
South Caucasus Monthly Analytical Magazine
Criminals aspire mandates of legislators
Edik Baghdasaryan
It is already noticeable that in Armenia there is a group of people, for whom laws do not exist. They are not high ranked officials but they travel throughout the city, accompanied by a cortege of cars with darkened windows. The road police salute them, when they are passing. These cars are not difficult to recognize, because, as a rule, they have similar car plates showing their belonging to a team of this or that oligarch.
These groups of people-clans- have monopoly in different spheres of economy. They intend to keep on their positions at any price. People, who became rich by illegal means, intersected with the government, including the law enforcement bodies. Some of them during the last Parliamentary elections "conquered" the National Assembly: they managed to buy the required number of votes and obtain the deputy immunity (according to legislation of the Republic of Armenia, deputies of the National Assembly have a right to immunity). Almost all political parties during the last parliamentary elections in their election campaigns mentioned about the necessity to remove this privilege. Today, several months after elections, nobody talks about it. Habits and practice of people spending their time in casinos, restaurants and saunas and whom the public recognizes not by names but nicknames, entered the legislative body. Someone in a conversation called this process "a criminal revolution". In Armenia a new system of values is forming, dictated by those who became rich by illegal means.
Sometimes as in Sicily
Mafia structures, clans, continuously conduct internal wars, assured that they will not be punished. They kill because it is possible and because it is profitable for their business. The struggle between the clan groupings sometimes becomes furious. This is noticeable in the information provided by the national police.
President of the party "National Security" Garnik Isagulyan, in an interview to "Haykakan Zhamanak", commented on the current situation in the country and mentioned that "there are people who through criminal means could become owners of big sums of money and though the same course, obtained power and, finally, obsessed wide economic means. These means they transferred into political arena and now they possess political power too. They don't act alone, they have own clans and with clans' assistance they get even with their opponents-competitors." To understand the situation of the period prior this interview (summer 2003, when another flame of the inter-clan war started), let us cite some information disseminated by informational agencies.
Near the Autoservice hotel in Yerevan city, Mushegh Ayvazian (nickname Mushegh Leningadian-E.B.) was killed with a fire gun. He was once an owner of one of wine factories of Armenia and was recognized as "authority".
On the territory of the Noubarashen disposal tip, Arkadii Gevorkyan, a nephew of the former deputy of the National Assembly Rouben Gevorkian (Tsaghik Roubo), deputy administrator of the Health Department of the
Ministry of Defense of the RA Arik Haroutyunian and a car driver were assassinated. These killings are just one episode of the adversary resistance, continuing already a year. In the other rival group is the deputy of the National Assembly Samvel Alexanian (Lfik Samo). He possesses huge wealth and controls 98% of sugar import into Armenia, as well as significant amount of import of flour and medicine. The fight between both sides has an economic ground. Dozens people from both sides were arrested. In opinion of some people, this fight will not end until the sides do not ruin each other. As our informant from the National Assembly states, until recent killings, twice attempts of killing of Samvel Alexanian took place. He is perceived as a member of a team of Robert Kocharian. During presidential elections, Samvel Alexanian supported Kocharian's candidacy.
In Gyumri a fight between two armed groups took place. Leaders of two sides-Serob Grigoryan, director of Gyumri Trans Llc, a transportation service on the road Yerevan-Gyumri, and Zhirayr Haroutyunian, the former rector of the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute -were assassinated. About a dozen people were wounded. Among victims are occasional passengers. All this happened 50 meters from the Prosecutor's office. The reasons for the fight are economic interests.
On this background the following fact is interesting. In the beginning of June 2003, a group of the most famous on the territory of the former Soviet Union criminals arrived in Yerevan. They came to the anniversary of one of the most reputable criminal of Soviet time "Svoi Raf". Among the criminals was also their "Godfather" Hasan. Recently nowhere in the NIS such a big amount of criminals (31 persons) was not assembled together simultaneously. There was a statement in the Armenian press that the criminals were met by the Chief of Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of RA at the Yerevan airport. In fact, the criminals' security was provided at the state level.
President Robert Kocharian expressed his concerns on the situation in the country at the grand session devoted to 85th anniversary of the Prosecutor's office of the country. "We should not permit a medieval vendetta and criminal thinking. In Armenia racket and blackmailing, criminal revenges and unclean competition should not take place. Recent fight between criminal groups-shootings and killings- raised many questions, answers to which I have not received yet from the prosecutors and the police. The society waits for quick and adequate reaction from the law enforcement bodies", he said. Many people started to perceive this statement adequately, namely, as a concrete course for the law enforcement bodies to "recreate" in the society the feeling of protection and justice. After the speech of the president, information about the forces and efforts of the law enforcement bodies of the country on criminal investigations was provided to the society more often than usually. The structures, implementing campaign for the force ministries, were given special directives and undergone staff changes.
Criminals and the "shadow" of economy.
By the time, the criminal structures in Armenia become more organized and professional. It is already obvious that such a criminal situation is not a heritage, as some public officers like to repeat, but a consequence of difficult social situation and atmosphere of impunity in the country.
About the pattern of this criminal "evolution" said the first Minister of the Internal Affairs Levon Galstyan in the interview to "Haykakan Zhamanak" newspaper. He stated that he is not surprised by the unlawful atmosphere as persons who, by their positions, are responsible for prevention of homicides and crime in general, are busy with advancing their own businesses. In opinion of L. Galstyan, even the president is not able to "curb" criminal elements, as he was elected to his post due to assistance of these elements.
Interests of the criminal structures towards financial sphere are increasing. The criminal lawyer endeavors to enter the power structures. In this term, the strong attention of the law enforcement bodies to economic crimes becomes clear. However, all this cannot bring any results, as representatives of the law enforcement bodies themselves are involved in business structures. Employees of these bodies have their share in joint business with different entrepreneurs. To hide it, they register their wealth on the names of their mother-in-laws, friends and relatives.
Powers and supporting parties, especially during election campaigns, promised to struggle against corruption. Today President of the RA has even an advisor on these questions. Nevertheless, all this is fiction, as corruption is legalized with support of these powers. Facts published in the mass media in some cases become matters of investigation by the law enforcement bodies and the Control Service of the President. However, each time, when involvement of a high-ranked officer becomes apparent, the process stops.
According to unofficial data, and estimation of different specialists, a "shadow economy" in Armenia makes from 50% to 70%. In which spheres of production more "shadow" is, the powers know the best. The law enforcement bodies, service of the national security have safeguarded all documents about shadow enterprises. Lack of political will or feeling of danger prevents the government to act decisively. In 1999, a plan to combat corruption was developing with support of the Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, and he attempted to take serious measures in this direction. On October 27th of the same year he was assassinated in the Parliament. By the way, before taking the post of the Prime Minister, he was sponsoring significant re-allocations in the economy. Taking over the government of the country, he understood how continuation of this process can turn around. There are political activists who believe this circumstance was the main reason for his liquidation.
In general, people, who suffer from corruption in the government and from pushing the economy into the "shadow", i.e. average citizens do not talk about necessity to fight corruption. As always, this becomes a common talk for those who have real opportunities to prevent and punish corruption and crime, i.e. high ranked officials.
---
http://www.caucasusjournalists.net/
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