Armenia’s prosecutor general, non-profit organizations discuss corruption

YEREVAN, September 25. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan and representatives of non-profit organizations discussed today during a clustered conference corruption fight.

A number of local NGOs, including Transparency International/Armenia, Your Future, Investigative Journalists, Armavir Development Center, Federation of Agricultural Organizations, participated in the conference.

“We have organized two clustered conferences and are planning to hold a nationwide meeting next month,” Hovsepyan said. “The more intensive and open these discussions are, the more tangible is the result.”

This summer the RA Prosecutor General’s Office hold two clustered conferences in Yeghegnadzor and Vanadzor cities with participation of regional prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.

The prosecutor general believes the discussions will help fight corruption.

In his turn, Edik Baghdasaryan, chairman of the Investigative Journalists NGO, said he remained skeptical about the effectiveness of group discussions on corruption.

“When the prosecutor’s office starts investigating major criminal cases, we will achieve better results,” the journalist said. “The main problem is that people do not trust law enforcement agencies.”

Responding to Baghdasaryan, the prosecutor general said law enforcement agencies need public support to fight corruption.

“Our goal is to make different layers of society trust us and help us detect crimes and punish the guilty,” Hovsepyan added.

The prosecutor general pointed out difficulties in revealing crimes of corruption. According to Hovsepyan, people ho have committed corruption crimes usually refuse to give testimony.  –0--