Today, on 12 February, the Public Discussion of the “Draft Law on Anti-Corruption Committee” and the Workshop on summarizing the public monitoring results of the work carried out in 2019 under the “RA Anti-Corruption Strategy and its Implementation Action Plan for 2019-2022” took place.
“When we talk about an anti-corruption investigative body, it may seem like this is another body that will do nothing, but I want to make it clear that this system has its Owner – our organization, the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition, our partners and we will do our best to make it a reality. The stolen assets of Armenia will be returned to the citizens from whom they were stolen. Everyone should know for sure that no one will be able to enjoy the stolen money that has been stolen from society, taken out with even the most intelligent schemes, even with the help of the most expensive experts. Be sure that these capacities will be created, and we must return all this to the society,” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Coordinator of the Secretariat of CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition said in his opening speech.
Ms Srbuhi Galyan, the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, highlighting the event, expressed gratitude for the constructive dialogue, as well as for permanently providing professional opinion on the initiatives of the Ministry. “I am very pleased that your views are in line with the Government’s program and the strategy adopted, in particular with the political will of the Government. Yes, Armenia must be free of corruption, yes, there must be zero tolerance for corruption, and all this is aimed at implementing an anti-corruption strategy and institutional system. Currently, we are in a very important stage, as we have already circulated the Draft Law on Anti-Corruption Committee and are currently in the stage of public discussions,” the Deputy Minister noted.
“The CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition is determined to eradicate corruption and, since its inception, has been an important player in the fight against corruption and various reforms in Armenia,” Ms Arpine Hakobyan, Chairwoman of the Governing Board of CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia, stated this in her speech. “The Coalition has initiated and implemented anti-corruption measures such as criminalization of illicit enrichment, the formation of the institutional framework for the anti-corruption system, including the formation of legal bases of the Corruption Prevention Commission, implementation of various reforms in different fields, organization of public discussions, submitting recommendations, to the Ministry of Justice and etc.,” she mentioned.
Mr. Artyom Mesropyan, Coordinator/Lawyer of the CSOs Development Programs at the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Expert at the CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia and Ms Mariam Galstyan, Head of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development Department of the RA Ministry of Justice, also delivered speeches.
The “Draft Law on Anti-Corruption Committee”; the observations and recommendations related to the Draft Law; the work carried out in 2019 under the “RA Anti-Corruption Strategy and its Implementation Action Plan for 2019-2022”; and the public monitoring results of the work carried out in 2019 were presented.
