DALLAKIAN FINDS DRAFT LAW AMBIGUOUS

A1+
[05:42 pm] 02 November, 2007

Today the National Assembly was considering the draft law on "Special
Investigative Services (SIS)." The law empowers the procuracy to
exert additional levers and "to restrain disobedient officials."

The newly-formed body will scrutinize the activities of the
legislative, executive and judicial bodies, state figures and election
processes, i.e., the body will investigate the crimes of our top-level
officials. The most striking is that the Prosecutor’s Office is to
supervise the SIS functions.

"I have got the impression that the body is set up to please Aghvan
Hovsepian," NA deputy Victor Dallakian told A1+.

A competitive commission has been set up alongside with the
investigative body. The commission is comprised of five members,
three legal scholars and two employees of Investigative Services.

The commission members are designated by the Special Investigative
Services which means the SIS is free in its choice. "The law is
imperfect and ambiguous," Dallakian says.

He suggests the commission should be appointed either by the Government
or by the Civil Services.

I cannot see any connection between the head of the SIS and the
Competitive Commission.

Under Article 9 the SIS head is designated by the President on the
General Prosecutor’s nomination.

"Why should the Prosecutor General nominate a SIS head? I think the
SIS head should be nominated by the Prime Minister. Do they want to
do a favour to Hovsepian?" Dallakian said.

The SIS is an independent body while its head is nominated by the
General Prosecutor. The latter supervises the body’s work. The law
lacks the mechanism of checks and balances," Victor Dallakian states.

Under Article 23 the Certification Commission is comprised of five
members appointed by the SIS head.

According to Mr Dallakian the commission should be appointed either
by the Civil Services or by the Prime Minister.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress