U.S. AMBASSADOR DOES NOT GIVE RA PRESIDENT AUDIO CASSETTE RELATING TO FACT OF CORRUPTION

Noyan Tapan
Sept 04 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The U.S. Ambassy to the RA spread
an information on September 1, which reads the following: "Rumours,
as if U.S. Ambassador gave a recording to RA President Robert Kocharian
which proved the Minister’s involvement in corruption, have often been
spread in press lately. We have no information about existence of such
a recording and have given no recording to the President. We are in
a continuous dialogue with the RA Government officials at different
levels connected with the official corruption problem. When trustworthy
information about involvement in corruption reaches us, we, of course,
pass that information to corresponding high-ranking officials of the
RA. We inexorably call on the RA officials to investigate accusations
of an involvement in the corruption and to carry out a pursuit,
especially in those cases, when it is spoken about ministers and
high-ranking officials.

Armenia may not become a fully succeeded democratic and economically
solid state if impartiality is not guaranteed at all levels of the
government."