PRESIDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONFIDENTIAL HEARINGS?

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[05:32 pm] 05 February, 2009

The National Security Service plans to open up a new
operative-technical department with new specialists and authorizations
and the RA President will appoint the head of the department. This
department must be in charge of overseeing telephone conversations
and take operative-investigative measures.

The new department will be created according to the plan regarding
"Activities of the operative-investigative department and making
changes and additions to the law" presented today to the National
Assembly.

"If the RA President appoints the official, he must personally take
on the responsibility for this department," said today deputy Armen
Martirosyan.

The National Security Service had a similar service and it is simply
being renamed as a department with new specialists and authorizations.

Armen Martirosyan asked Deputy Head of the NSS Romik Harutyunyan if
the RA President was going to be responsible for releasing information
regarding personal telephone calls taking into account the publications
of the oppositionists’ personal phone calls in the presses after the
events of March 1. The deputy is concerned that all personal telephone
calls may be heard, which is a violation of the RA Constitution.

In response to that, the Deputy Head of the NSS said:

"Your questions have nothing to do with our changes."

The NA committee for defense, national security and internal affairs
gave its consent to the plan. Head of the committee Arthur Aghabekyan
called on everybody to present the comments and proposals for the
changes in written form.