The gas filling station belonging to “Artyom-M.M.M. Group Ltd” is located practically on the bridge where the Yerevan-Ashtarak and Yeghvard-Ashtarak roadways intersect. It belongs to Artyom Makaryan, who heads the Spitak branch of the Prosperous Armenia Party. (Note: We are not talking about “gas” as in petrol, but natural gas. Most cars in Armenia are modified to run on both types of fuel)

It’s been more than two years now that the Aragatzotn Regional Administration has been trying, without success, to get the gas station to operate according to the law. The structure differs from the plan submitted to the Ashtarak Municipality and many codes were violated during its construction. The gas station is located on the 22.6 kilometer stretch of the Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Georgia interstate. It falls with the municipal boundaries of the town of Ashtarak and its safe operation should be at the center of attention of the appropriate municipal authorities. However, all legal norms of how a gas station should be operated safely are flouted for all to see. No one seems to care.

Police mandated specifications overlooked

During construction, the RoA Highway Police also reviewed the intended site for the gas station and didn’t oppose the plan, while at the same time stressing that construction should meet the specification as detailed in the blueprint. There were six conditions that had to be satisfied. Let’s note a few of them: - Along the roadway, the structure must be at least 18 meters away from the nearest traffic lane. - A supplemental paved section measuring 50 meters by 3.6 meters must be constructed in order to ensure the safe passage of transport vehicles into the gas station. - The site must be paved, leveled and marked with direction signal, etc. There must be adequate drainage facilities from rain run-off. Ishkhan Ishkhanyan, Chief of the Highway Police Department, handed an official letter dated November 23, 2007, containing the above provisions to Artyom Makaryan.

Accidents aplenty at site

However, these required standards were essentially violated during the construction of the station, resulting in a spate of automobile accidents in the vicinity; often with deadly consequences. On March 4, 2009, a Kia Forento smashed into the station’s wall, killing 40 year-old Hamlet Margaryan from Nor Hajin on the spot. Three other passengers in the car were seriously wounded. Residents of Ashtarak say that stretch of roadway was already dangerous even before the gas station was built but that the number of accidents has skyrocketed as a result. The main cause for the traffic accidents is that Artyom Makaryan built a wall around the gas station without a permit. The blueprint he submitted for approval included no such wall. There was another tragic accident at the station last year. An electrician doing work at the station was rushed to the hospital with burns as a result of not following the safety regulations.

Local residents take action

Local Ashtarak residents are so incensed that the local authorities are willing to turn a blind eye to the problem that they have sent off letters to the inspectorate services attached to the RoA President and Prime minister, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Deputy Prime Minister, Armen Gevorgyan, the Mayor of Ashtarak, the Aragatzotn Regional Administrator, etc. However, since Artyom Makaryan is “well connected” no official dare raises a finger against him. Ashtarak resident Lilit Sardaryan has launched her own active little war against the gas station owner. She is the one who has been “disturbing” various officials with her protest letters and she is the one who gets frustrated when all her effort is for naught. Based on the petition of Lilit Sardaryan, Anahit Asatryan, Chief of the Department of Civilian Complaints and Suggestions at the RoA Presidential Inspectorate Division, sent an official letter to Aragatzotn Regional Administration dated November 4, 2008, requesting that they investigate the situation at the gas station. In his response, Ashot Davadyan, head of the RA’s Department of Municipal Construction, reported that he sent a directive to the Mayor of Ashtarak requesting that “gas station operations be halted and that necessary modifications be made to the structure enclosing the station in order that it meet required norms”.

Bureaucrats pass the buck

One year has since passed but no one has followed up on the directive and demanded that the station adhere to municipal specs. On June 4, 2008, again due to the perseverance of Lilit Sardaryan, Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevoryan sent a directive to the Aragatzotn Regional Administrator. In his response, Ashot Davadyan reported that “Artyom-M.M.M. Group Ltd” was in possession of all pertinent construction documents – architectural blueprint, land allotment certificate and work permit. “However, the standards set down by the Highway Police in said gas station’s blueprints have not be met,” Mr. Davadyan added in his response. It appears that former Aragatzotn Regional Administrator Gabriel Gyozalyan was also powerless in coming up against Artyom Makaryan and his gas station. On March 10, 2009, the former Regional Administrator sent a letter in response to Hrayr Karapetyan, the former deputy to the National Assembly President. “There have been numerous investigations made by the inspectorate services of the RoA President and Prime Minister. After which, directives have been sent to the Regional Police Chief and the Ashtarak Mayor, demanding that the site be brought up to the required specs. However, no such work has been undertaken to date,” according to the former Aragatzotn RA. Various police chiefs and the Mayor of Ashtarak have displayed a lack of interest while the inspectorate services of the president and prime minister have failed to follow up on the case. Is it because Prosperous Armenia Party member Artyom Makaryan has met whatever demands they have made? The code violating gas station has also surprisingly passed technical safety inspections.

National Technical Safety Center has much to answer for

Since a gas station is considered to be a safety risk, the law requires such structures to undergo a safety inspection at least once every year. We asked Ashot Petrosyan, Director of the National Technical Safety Center, (State Non-Commercial Organization) to name the specialist who conducted the investigation of the gas station and when the last inspection was made. We also asked how long had the gas station been in operation. NTSC Director Petrosyan avoided giving any specific answers. “The gas station located at the intersection of the Yeghvard-Ashtarak and Yerevan-Ashtarak highways operated by the “Artyom-M.M.M. Group” is not listed in the NTSC’s registry of dangerous commercial enterprises,” writes the NTSC Director His answer was all the more evasive since the registry he cites only lists those commercial enterprises that have experienced “technically-related” accidents. Our original question dealt with a different matter. Since the registry of dangerous industrial facilities is maintained by the NTSC, and gas stations are classified as “potentially dangerous facilities”, our particular gas station must be so registered. This means that NTSC Director Petrosyan knows whether the facility in fact was inspected or not. According to our sources in the NTSC, the “Artyom Group” signed a 173,530 AMD inspection contract with the NTSC and that the gas station passed. The specialist who conducted the inspection was Hay Tovmasyan, who by the way is the husband of Director Petrosyan’s sister. No wonder the director wished to conceal this information from us. Given that the gas filling station owned by the “Artyom Group” had building code violations from the very start, this means that the NTSC examiners, knowing this full well, nevertheless gave the station a passing grade and thus seriously broke the law themselves. According to the law, by conducting a faulty inspection, the examiners (or examining unit) are liable to fines ranging from 500 to 1,000 times their minimum salaries. Let’s wait and see if the NTSC examiner will be so penalized after this article is published. We should note that the NTSC, according to its charter, is obliged to examine and make conclusions regarding the construction, reconstruction, renovation, expansion and technical outfitting of potentially hazardous industrial sites and to see to it that modifications are made to ensure that all sites meet legally required safety specifications. During our investigation, we were not able to contact Artyom Makaryan. Representatives of the Prosperous Armenia Party refused to give us his cell phone number, arguing that they weren’t authorized to do so. We spoke to Aramayis Matosyan, who manages the Prosperous Armenia Party office. During our conversation he said that, “Mr. Makaryan hasn’t been to the office for the past ten days. He’s in Yerevan but has changed his telephone number. We don’t know the new number so that we can get in touch with him. We will have to wait until he calls us with the new number.” There is no information regarding the “Artyom-M.M.M. Group Ltd.” to be found in any of the usual reference sites.

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