ARMENIA’S PROSECUTOR GENERAL, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS DISCUSS CORRUPTION
ARKA
Sep 25, 2008
YEREVAN, September 25. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Prosecutor General Aghvan
Hovsepyan and representatives of non-profit organizations discussed
today during a clustered conference corruption fight.
A number of local NGOs, including Transparency International/Armenia,
Your Future, Investigative Journalists, Armavir Development Center,
Federation of Agricultural Organizations, participated in the
conference.
"We have organized two clustered conferences and are planning to hold
a nationwide meeting next month," Hovsepyan said. "The more intensive
and open these discussions are, the more tangible is the result."
This summer the RA Prosecutor General’s Office hold two clustered
conferences in Yeghegnadzor and Vanadzor cities with participation
of regional prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.
The prosecutor general believes the discussions will help fight
corruption.
In his turn, Edik Baghdasaryan, chairman of the Investigative
Journalists NGO, said he remained skeptical about the effectiveness
of group discussions on corruption.
"When the prosecutor’s office starts investigating major criminal
cases, we will achieve better results," the journalist said. "The
main problem is that people do not trust law enforcement agencies."
Responding to Baghdasaryan, the prosecutor general said law enforcement
agencies need public support t o fight corruption.
"Our goal is to make different layers of society trust us and help
us detect crimes and punish the guilty," Hovsepyan added.
The prosecutor general pointed out difficulties in revealing crimes
of corruption. According to Hovsepyan, people ho have committed
corruption crimes usually refuse to give testimony.