Pan Armenian News
GRECO EXPERTS DISCONTENT WITH ARMENIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM
09.06.2005 08:56
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The expert commission of the Group of States against
Corruption (GRECO) will present the results of a monitoring held in Armenia
May 28 – June 3 in the course of a close plenary session in October-November
2005. It was reported by Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, head of the
GRECO Armenian delegation Ashot Galoyan. In his words, recommendations will
be provided to Armenia and they have to be realized within a year and a
half. As noted by Galoyan, last year Armenia presented a 180-page document
that included approaches to struggle against corruption, evaluation of
anti-corruption programs. In their turn European anti-corruption experts
said that they wish to arrive and acquaint with the situation in person. In
Galoyan’s words, in the near future results of monitoring Germany will be
presented, while Georgia has passed the evaluation stage. He also remarked
that all countries of the region, except Iraq, are GRECO members. Certain
problems were outlined resulting from meetings the experts had at the
Ministry of Justice, Police, Prosecutor’s Office, the judicial system, Civil
Service Council, State Purchase Agency, the Commercial and Industrial
Chamber and the Parliament. Thus, in Galoyan’s words, the parties noted that
the judicial system is far from being satisfactory and certain reforms are
necessary. In his words, it is also necessary to regulate at the state level
whether an official has the right to receive presents. «This concept was
alien to the European experts,» the Deputy FM said. According to him such
questions as whether a juridical person can be punished for corruption
activities or how to struggle corruption, if there is no institute of
protection of witness rights in Armenia appeared. Answering journalists’
question whether GRECO experts know which of the Armenian officials is
engaged in business, what buildings are owned by them, etc. Mr. Galoyan
answered «they have come to assess the situation, not an individual person.»
In the completion the GRECO Armenian delegation leader said Armenian
Ambassador to the UN has signed the Europe Criminal Law Convention on
Corruption, which is soon to be submitted to the National Assembly of
Armenia.