"4000 homeless children in Gyumri"

MAYOR OF GYUMRI: THEY WANTED TO KILL ME BECAUSE I TELL THE TRUTH

ArmInfo
2007-05-24 15:11:00

In his interview with the Armenian "Shant" TV company, Vardan Ghukassyan, Mayor of Gyumri and a member of the Republican Party's Board, said that he knows who made the assassination attempt on him on April 2.

"I'm sure that they wanted to kill me because I've always told the truth and never concealed the fact that there are 4000 homeless children in Gyumri and not 1500 as some power representatives used to say," V.Ghukassyan said. He emphasized that he doesn't hope for disclosing of this crime as there is little concern about it. According to him, if the crime is disclosed, it will turn out to have a political character, otherwise it was evidently a political order. At the same time he stressed that the assassination attempt scarcely had a personal character, as he has no enemies, "he is an honest Christian, a loving family man, who constantly extends a helping hand to the poor, and after all, he has never hurt anyone in his life". He added that he'd like to die like Vardan Mamikonyan who served his nation.

As for the recent skirmish in Gyumri where the Mayor's son Spartak Ghukassyan also was involved, V.Ghukassyan said: "My son is as honest as I am. He has never hurt anyone and always helped the poor. And if I learn that someone in my family behaves indecently, I myself will kill them and give them up for lost". As for the opinion that there was an animosity between the Mayor of Gyumri and Artashes Sargsyan, the head of the Prosperous Armenia party's office in Gyumri, who was the other participant in the skirmish, V.Ghukassyan noted: "A.Sargsyan is a friend of our family, he always takes part in our family events and there is no animosity between us". Concerning the second skirmish near the Karot filling station, the Mayor of Gyumri sees nothing special in it. "All the statements that Gyumri has turned into a criminal city are groundless. Our city is the calmest and most peaceful city in the world", he said, appealing to the powers that be to leave him and his city alone for two years at least. "Then you'll see what Gyumri will turn into," he added. V.Ghukassyan said that at the moment he is getting ready for the second operation.

To note, as a result of the April 2 assassination attempt, V.Ghukassyan was seriously injured and operated on, afterwards stayed in hospital for two weeks. His three bodyguards died on the spot, and the driver died in hospital.