Mr. Styopa Safaryan, political analyst, candidate to NA from “Free Democrats” Party, is not aware about the draft law “On Prevention of Corruption and Ethics Commission” which was presented for public discussion on e-draft website in the period of 3- 18 February.
In relation with the extent of efficiency of the activities of the Commission on Ethics of High-Ranking Officials, S. Safaryan noted that the Commission has definitely failed. The newly formed Commission will have the same basis as the above-mentioned Commission. Mr. Safaryan was of the same opinion referring to the Ethics Commission of the NA.
“They submit income declarations and the impression was that they were allowed to legalize the property and assets that were illegally obtained during the past 5 or more years. And when the high ranking officials presented these declarations, no one asked them where they had obtained that property from. Or that the official had been a SNCO state employee, or a state employee, had not any businesses; and if you look more attentively, the mission of the first commission was to legalize the illegally gained property and assets. As it is said; if the first million had been obtained illegally, the rest is obtained legally. First of all they legalized the robbed assets. Currently it is normal: we see the economic growth in personal incomes and businesses.” This is how Mr. Safaryan describes the work of the Commission on Ethics of High-Ranking Officials.
According to the draft, the Commission and its chairman will be appointed by the President, and this is a hindrance for its being independent, and as Mr. Safaryan noted it is impossible and such Commission cannot be independent. “They can examine the cases when they are told to do that. And they do not examine the cases when they are not to do so. Thus both structures seemed to be dismembered, and they lack personal initiative and have no powers to raise those issues and their decisions have no power to bring to any legal consequences,” the MP candidate added.
