The Helsinki Civil Assembly's Vanadzor office has issued a public letter protesting the fact that five months have passed since it sent several letters to the RoA Government regarding non-payment of salaries to former workers at the GM Magharo plant owned by Gagik Tsarukyan, head of the Prosperous Armenia Party. The Assembly's office claims that no response has been forthcoming from the government regarding this violation. GM Magharo was set up in 2006 and later the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development of the ROA granted a special license to the company regarding mineral extraction rights at the Mghart gold mine located in the Lori Marz. Some 50 residents of Alaverdi and Mghart were subsequently employed by the company but the workers never received their wages. Some six months later the company collected the work contracts signed with the employees and never returned them. After receiving their termination notices the workers appealed to a variety of tribunals. A petition signed by 46 of them was also sent to the Prime Minister but went unanswered. The workers then petitioned the RoA State Labor Board. The Board said it would look into the matter but no response has yet to be received. The former GM Magharo employees have sent three letters directly to Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the last on February 16 of this year. None have elicited as response from the prime minister. The public statement by the Helsinki Assembly states that, "The lack of follow-up in the anti-corruption campaign heralded by PM Tigran Sargsyan seems to be the a consequence of the fact that they fear going up against National Assembly Deputy Gagil Tzarukyan. ("Hetq" covered this story in an article entitled "Who Exploited the Mghart Gold Mine?" in its February 11, 2008 edition.)