His wife, Karineh Mkhitaryan, who officially claims no income at all, recently purchased a $70,000 Range Rover in the family’s 2015 financial disclosure.
Armenia’s National Assembly today elected Arman Tatoyan the country’s new Human Rights Defender by a vote of 96 to 7. Four ballots were found invalid.
Postanjyan also ridiculed the discussions underway, labeling them as having nothing to do with selecting Armenia’s next HRD but merely rubber stamping the Republican Party’s nominee for the post.
MP Naira Zohrabyan, who heads the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) parliamentary faction, took the podium today and said she would abstain from voting for Armenia’s next Human Rights Defender since it was a ‘done deal’ and that the institution itself was weak and basically superfluous.
Tatoyan went on to say the office of the HRD must serve as a bridge between various civic organizations and state institutions, noting that various flexible approaches to achieve this are available.
Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker Hermineh Naghdalyan and opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan today condemned a recent incident during which MP Mher Setrakyan got into a shouting match with reporters, calling them ‘a flock of sheep’.
Everyone in the Artzvaqar neighborhood in Gavar, the capital of Armenia’s Gegharkounik Province), knows 42-year-old Garineh Hovhannisyan.
In the first quarter of 2016, the company will be paid 800 million AMD (US$1.6 million) by the government to operate and maintain such equipment.
Armenia imported 37.4 tons of tomatoes from Turkey, Iran, Georgia, Holland and Greece in 2015. That same year, 135 tons of cucumbers were imported from Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Greece.
Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Council (ACC) has only met twice since it was set up one year ago.
Armenia’s National Assembly today debated a recent US$113 million loan that Armenia will be receiving from the Asian Development Bank to continue road construction in Yerevan.
Changes are taking place in Armenia’s judicial system. Young judges are replacing those who have retired and those employed in the provinces are being transferred to Yerevan.
Armenia’s Civil Appeals Court on January 21rejected an appeal filed by Skizb Media Kentron seeking to overturn a decision handed down by the Kentron and Nor Nork Court of Jurisdicton.
Armenia’s National Statistical Service (NSS) reports that prices of basic foodstuffs rose 3% in December of last year when compared to November 2015.
In November 2014, 19 year-old Arman married 14 year-old Karineh.
This year, the Yerevan Municipality has allocated 40.5 million AMD ($83,700) for installing and lighting a Christmas tree in Republic Square and for four holiday concerts in the Armenian capital.
Yeghishyan said he was told that according to the draft constitution, the old Soviet kolkhoz would be reestablished. The senior citizen is a fan of the ‘old order’.
Recently, however, Armenia’s Traffic Police have miraculously discovered that severely tinted car windows lead to traffic accidents and are instructing drivers to conform to a 2005 code specifying the degree to which windows can be darkened. Code violations, the police state, can lead to fines of 50,000 drams.
Companies belonging to the family of Vanadzor Mayor Samvel Darbinyan are heavily engaged in road construction projects financed by the state and community budgets.
Armenia’s police department will pay HayPost 200.6 million drams (US$416,250) to send notices to residents eligible to vote in the December 6 constitutional change referendum.
There are at least ten schools in Armenia’s Armavir Province that are in need of immediate renovation, according to the regional government.
According to the draft, next year the government will spend US$180.4 million in loan resources allocated by foreign nations and international organizations. Armenia, as per its obligation will chip in $28.3 million.
There are no objective studies as to how rural residents have benefited from this program; if at all.
Armenia’s Central Bank is asking for 32.7 billion AMD (US$67.8 million) for capital investments and basic operating costs.
Thus, while the contract only covers the disposal of animal waste, Baghdasaryan takes care of all the zoo’s garbage. The bid for the job was never announced in advance.
Hetq has revealed that most school construction carried out in the province of Armavir from 2006 to 2014 was carried out by government officials or companies affiliated to their cronies. On-site inspections by Hetq have also revealed that oftentimes the final product is shoddy. Five companies monopolize school construction in Armavir.
The two news outlets had applied to the Constitutional Court after they fought cases in the country’s lower courts regarding the issue of source confidentiality.
While much of the world is investing in alternative energy, Armenia lags far behind and remains reliant on traditional sources like huge hydro-electric power plants, nuclear, and thermal.
Take the case of the Healthy Future Medical Center, Ltd. The Armenian government has been pouring lots of cash to the company as part of a program called the Medical Support Services for Tuberculosis.
Annar Ltd., a company owned by Arshavir Khachatryan, who heads the urban construction department at the Kotayk Government, has won several state building contracts in the province.
The Vagharshpat Hospital has four ambulances. Two are 2010-2011 Ford and one is a 2003 Gazelle van. The fourth is a 25 year-old Raf that hardly is used.
Nelli Tovmasyan was an English teacher for six years at Teghenik Middle School in Kotayk before being fired by the school principal in December 2014.
Of the eight ambulances operating out of the Armavir Medical Center, five were produced between 1987 and1992. The other three are relatively new, manufactured between 2005 and 2008.
Today, in Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan presided over the first ever meeting of a newly created anti-corruption council, declaring war against the scourge that plagues Armenia.
On June 25, 2015, the Armenian government approved the expenditure of 98 million AMD (US$204,000) to purchase furniture for the recently created Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reforms.
Loqyan, son of former Minister of Agriculture Davit Loqyan, was legally obligated to file a disclosure revealing his financial assets 15 days after assuming the post of adviser to the prime minister. He’s also failed to file his 2014 annual disclosure required by February 15, 2015.
All of the 660 million AMD (US$1.4 million) the Armenian government earmarked to solve the most pressing problems in the province of Shirak went to contractors on a negotiated basis; that’s to say, without any tender bids.
Half of the money, 150 million AMD, wound up be funneled to company owned by the brother of Provincial Governor Sargis Sahakyan.
Another criminal case is being heard in the same court. Armen Poghosyan is accused of stealing a blood pressure measuring device from the Etchmiadzin Natali Pharm drugstore.
The streets were empty. I heard no cries from children going to school. Just a few men were playing cards in the town square.
Tigran Sargsyan, Armenia’s former prime minister and presently its ambassador to the United States, has filed a one million AMD slander suit against businessman Paylak Hayrapetyan.
The No. 6 kindergarten in the town of Armavir has been closed for three days due to an intestinal flu outbreak that landed a bunch of kids, aged 3-6 in the hospital on May 18.
Armenia’s Police Department has placed an order with Armenia Public TV to produce fourteen 26 minute films in a series entitled “My Army”.
Zurabyan added that if Kostanyan doesn’t consult with the president regarding permissible prosecution targets, then why the prosecutor general isn’t fulfilling his obligations as defined in the country’s constitution.
Take Artashat Plaza for example - the largest supermarket in the town of Artashat. When it opened its doors last October, Argam Abrahamyan was the 100% owner. Just a few days later the stock was transferred to Gohar Voskanyan, who hails from the same village as the prime sinister.
The younger Abrahamyan will appear on the June 7 ballot as a candidate for the ruing Republican Party.
Last night Yerevan police arrested Gohar Yenokyan, a former MP with the Prosperous Armenia Party, on suspicion that the 73 year-old took part in the preparation of a murder.
The diamond encrusted watch on Gaık Tsarukyan’s wrist costs USD 300,000.
Armenia’s Central Bank is another government institution that likes to keep a close lid on how much information about its internal dealings gets out to the public.
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