MAYOR OF GYUMRI: THEY WANTED TO KILL ME BECAUSE I TELL THE TRUTH

ArmInfo
2007-05-24 15:11:00

In his interview with the Armenian "Shant" TV company, Vardan
Ghukassyan, Mayor of Gyumri and a member of the Republican Party’s
Board, said that he knows who made the assassination attempt on him
on April 2.

"I’m sure that they wanted to kill me because I’ve always told the
truth and never concealed the fact that there are 4000 homeless
children in Gyumri and not 1500 as some power representatives used
to say," V.Ghukassyan said. He emphasized that he doesn’t hope for
disclosing of this crime as there is little concern about it. According
to him, if the crime is disclosed, it will turn out to have a political
character, otherwise it was evidently a political order. At the
same time he stressed that the assassination attempt scarcely had a
personal character, as he has no enemies, "he is an honest Christian,
a loving family man, who constantly extends a helping hand to the poor,
and after all, he has never hurt anyone in his life". He added that
he’d like to die like Vardan Mamikonyan who served his nation.

As for the recent skirmish in Gyumri where the Mayor’s son Spartak
Ghukassyan also was involved, V.Ghukassyan said: "My son is as honest
as I am. He has never hurt anyone and always helped the poor. And if
I learn that someone in my family behaves indecently, I myself will
kill them and give them up for lost". As for the opinion that there
was an animosity between the Mayor of Gyumri and Artashes Sargsyan,
the head of the Prosperous Armenia party’s office in Gyumri, who
was the other participant in the skirmish, V.Ghukassyan noted:
"A.Sargsyan is a friend of our family, he always takes part in our
family events and there is no animosity between us". Concerning the
second skirmish near the Karot filling station, the Mayor of Gyumri
sees nothing special in it. "All the statements that Gyumri has turned
into a criminal city are groundless. Our city is the calmest and most
peaceful city in the world", he said, appealing to the powers that be
to leave him and his city alone for two years at least. "Then you’ll
see what Gyumri will turn into," he added. V.Ghukassyan said that at
the moment he is getting ready for the second operation.

To note, as a result of the April 2 assassination attempt, V.Ghukassyan
was seriously injured and operated on, afterwards stayed in hospital
for two weeks. His three bodyguards died on the spot, and the driver
died in hospital.