30 November 2018, 14:01
Social network users critically respond to fight against corruption in Armenia
Users of Armenian social networks criticized the proposals of officials suspected of corruption to make multimillion-dollar gifts to the state. Users also considered the Nikol Pashinyan's rhetoric as campaign populism.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 28, Nikol Pashinyan announced the replenishment of the Armenian budget with oligarchs' money. In particular, he has announced that Alexander Sargsyan, a brother of Serzh Sergsyan, expressed his willingness to return to the budget 30 million US dollars. Armen Avetisyan, the former head of the Armenian Customs Service, intends to transfer his "Golden Palace" Hotel in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor to the state as a gift. Lieutenant General Manvel Grigoryan decided to give the state objects of real estate worth 5 billion drams.
Armen Avetisyan is suspected of involvement in illegal entrepreneur activities and money laundering while building hotels owned by his family members.
On June 16, retired General Manvel Grigoryan, an MP from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), was detained on suspicion of illegal arms trafficking.
Some Facebook users criticized the statements about the return of those funds and property to the country's budget, as well as the statements voiced by Nikol Pashinyan himself.
"The stolen property is not presented, it is confiscated," Grisha Shamiryan believes.
Arman Melikyan notes it is an interesting approach when "embezzlers 'make presents' to the state from their stolen property."
"Thus, they give a legitimate bribe in order to ensure that the law will bypass them," Armen Bagmanyan wrote on Facebook.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 30, 2018 at 05:26 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Armine Martirosyan Source: CK correspondent
