ARMENIAN JUSTICE MINISTRY GUTTED BY FIRE
By Hovannes Shoghikian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Feb 11 2008

Firefighters needed more seven than hours to put out a fire that
gutted on Saturday the building housing the Armenian Ministry of
Justice and destroyed many documents kept there.

Officials said the blaze completely destroyed the two upper floors
of the four-story building in downtown Yerevan and seriously damaged
its second floor, effectively paralyzing the ministry’s work.

"As you can see, the offices of the minister and the deputy minister
have been completely destroyed," Deputy Justice Minister Gevorg
Kostanian told reporters. He said most of the ministry archive was
also burned down.

According to the deputy head of the Armenian Rescue Service, Artur
Voskanian, as many as 20 firefighter crews were rushed to scene to
localize the blaze and prevent it from reaching the adjacent buildings
of the Office of the Prosecutor-General and the Court of Appeals. He
would not speculate on possible causes of the fire sparked early in
the morning.

"We can’t comment on causes of the fire? The investigation will
establish them," said Voskanian.

The investigation was ordered by President Robert Kocharian at an
emergency meeting with senior law-enforcement and Rescue Service
officials later in the day. He also instructed them to help restore
"the normal work" of the ministry.