(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Elnur Enveroglu
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Sometimes the face of life is so harsh and unfair that it is
difficult to express it in words. Rich and poor, full and hungry,
guilty and innocent, and what else...all these elements are
reflected in a tableau called Armenian realities. This is a bitter
reality that comes alive with time and the shades of history.
We would not be wrong if we say that bribery and corruption are
the main pillars of the Armenian administration system. In 2018,
when Nikol Pashinyan, who had a mediocre experience in the field of
journalism, got the high seat of politics, many people described
the future of the country in a mythical image created by the West –
a country free of corruption. Everyone believed that everything
from Armenia's administrative system to law, legislation, power
structures, and defense system would operate in a transparent and
orderly manner. Until the true potential of Armenia is revealed in
2020.
The country's situation dragged it further into the quagmire,
and eventually, the puppet state, which was inserted like a wedge
into the region, became a victim of corruption that undermined it
from the inside.
The kingdom that Nikol Pashinyan won in the Velvet Revolution
was actually thanks to former clan leaders who were notorious for
corruption before him. The corrupt millionaires like Robert
Kocharyan and Serjik Sargsyan, who were particularly involved in
bribery, corruption, and embezzlement of state property, made
Pashinyan's new image in power popular.
Everyone thought that the state budget was spent on the dreams
of Armenia, and the only goal of the officials was to educate the
generations by keeping the traditions of invading foreign lands
alive. However, the bitterness of the 44-day war created conditions
for the increase of deserters in the country and the emergence of
corrupt gangs.
Now it becomes crystal clear why a soldier's parent is crying
over the death of an Armenian soldier in someone else's land, that
is, in Garabagh, which is Azerbaijan.
One is hungry, the other is full, one is usurping other people's
land in a trench, and the other is filling his pockets by stealing
from the state budget - look, this is the reality of Armenia.
Gurgen Arsenyan, a member of the Armenian parliament from the
ruling Civil Contract faction, whose candidacy is being considered
for the post of Armenian ambassador to Russia, owns 17 real estate
properties, land plots and shares in various companies.
A standard question: Where does the new Armenian ambassador to
the Russian Federation get all this?
On May 3, 2024, Arsenyan submitted an annual declaration of his
property and income for 2023 to the Corruption Prevention
Commission, which shows that the MP has significant wealth. In
particular, he declared 17 real estate units, including buildings,
structures, and land plots in Yerevan, Gyumri and Kotayk. He also
owns 4 cars (Nissan, Bentley, Mercedes Benz, and Range Rover) and
shares worth over 1 million rubles and 768 million drams.
Arsenyan is even close to leaving behind Bob Menedez, the US
senator who was named the corruption hero of the United States with
this move.
In addition, Arsenyan owns 16 expensive items, including a gold
bar worth 32 million 55 thousand 700 drams, inventory purchased in
1995 for $370 thousand, a collection of paintings worth about 400
million drams, and collectible coins worth 18 million drams.
Arsenyan's cash amounted to 40 euros, $800,193, and 32,571
drams, which by the end of the year turned into 0 euros, $449,995.1
and 4 drams. Cash amounted to $628 thousand, 5.5 million drams, and
16,500 drams, which by the end of the year increased to $977,600
dollars, 6 million 780 thousand drams, and 58 thousand euros.
The ex-parliamentarian's annual income was 14 million 443
thousand 370 drams, of which 9 million 983 thousand 370 drams was
his parliamentary salary. During the reporting period, Arsenyan's
income included 2 million 300 thousand drams in dividends from
Unicorn Group LLC.
The deputy has a stake in seven companies, including Vkredit24
LLC, Arsoil, Unicorn Service and Unicorn Group.
It is obvious that we have a classic example of a corrupt
official abusing his powers for personal gain. Such people use
their position to obtain illegal income, enriching themselves at
the expense of the Armenian people. Corruption undermines the trust
of Armenian citizens in the government and infringes on economic
development and social justice. And it is not difficult to guess
what Gurgen Arsenyan will do as the new Armenian ambassador to the
Russian Federation.
Do you think it is just about one person? Of course, this is
still the cover of the book, besides Gurgen, there are still
corrupt politicians whose names can be written like a 'saga'.
When you see them, the poor face of Nikol Pashinyan, who really
needs India's useless weapons and Europe's 10 million military aid
package, comes to mind. Armenia, unable to cope with the officials
who loot billions of wealth of its state and people, is trying to
protect itself through donations...
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