ARMENIAN CLASH PROBE URGED TO STUDY ‘BODYGUARD INVOLVEMENT’ CLAIMS
Anush Martirosian

Armenialiberty.org
http://www.azatuty un.am/content/article/1809126.html
Aug 27 2009

Two former members of a disbanded group of experts assisting Armenia’s
main parliamentary probe into last year’s post-election unrest have
urged the National Assembly’s ad hoc commission to make an additional
inquiry into alleged involvement of bodyguards of a number of
government-connected businessmen and officials in the deadly violence.

Andranik Kocharian and Seda Safarian, who served as members of the
Fact-Finding Group of Experts from the opposition until the mission was
disbanded in June, unveiled to the media on Thursday a "list of sets
of uniforms" ostensibly issued to a number of wealthy businessmen and
senior government officials in the period of Armenia’s worst street
violence on March 1-2, 2008. Street battles between security forces
and supporters of ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, an officially
defeated candidate in Armenia’s 2008 presidential election, left 10
people dead and hundreds injured.

Among the nine businessmen and officials, the list that the former
Fact-Finding Group members said was obtained from the Ter-Petrosian-led
Armenian National Congress (HAK) names Gagik Tsarukian, a millionaire
businessman and leader of a large pro-government party (issued 300
suits and 49 winter caps), current Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamian
(115 suits) and incumbent Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglarian (83 suits
and 10 winter caps).

Kocharian and Safarian also said they had submitted a report to the
parliamentary commission describing the group’s unannounced visit
to Defense Ministry stockrooms that they said was obstructed in an
‘organized’ manner.

The opposition members of the disbanded group explained that the goal
of the visit was to look into the veracity of the claims repeatedly
made at opposition rallies that military uniforms had been issued to
"notorious people, oligarchs and officials" from the storehouses of the
Ministry of Defense. But Kocharian said the members of the group had
been prevented from seeing corresponding registers of the facilities.

"We suggest that the National Assembly’s Ad Hoc Commission make an
additional inquiry into the accusations made by the HAK against the
authorities," Kocharian concluded.
From: Baghdasarian