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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed that no one should be shielded from accountability in corruption cases because of their political affiliation, saying there should be no distinction when it comes to accountability.
Speaking at a ceremonial session marking the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Committee, Pashinyan said accountability must apply equally to representatives of both the ruling party and the opposition.
He stressed that there should be no favoritism in the fight against corruption.
According to the Prime Minister, the activities of the Anti-Corruption Committee in Armenia are becoming increasingly visible, demonstrating the state's intolerance of corruption.
Pashinyan said he regretted that the Anti-Corruption Committee's work had also led to representatives of the ruling team and government circles being brought to trial.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that no one evades accountability if involved in corrupt activities.
“If someone engages in corrupt activities, regardless of which political force they represent, whether the ruling party or the opposition, they must be held accountable. Otherwise, we will not achieve results. There must be no ‘us and them’ mentality in the fight against corruption,” the Prime Minister said.
He also stressed the importance of bringing to completion cases launched in 2018 that have since stalled under circumstances he said he could not understand.
“It is important that the cases launched in 2018 but which, for reasons I cannot understand, have ended up in a state of stagnation be brought to a principled conclusion. We must quickly close that chapter so that we can focus on today's challenges,” Pashinyan said.
The Prime Minister expressed confidence that, thanks to the sincere political will of the Government and the political majority, the effective work of the Anti-Corruption Committee, and the involvement of other state bodies implementing anti-corruption policies, Armenia can become a corruption-free state.
Addressing the quality of corruption investigations, Pashinyan noted that some cases are sent to court in an inadequate state.
He said public dissatisfaction arises when court proceedings in corruption cases end in acquittals, while the reasons for those outcomes remain unclear.
“If certain dark corners continue to remain, and their presumed existence is invoked to justify the failure to achieve justice, this situation irritates the public, and the issue must be addressed. It must be explained why, for example, a case investigated by the Committee reaches court and ends in an acquittal. The public must ultimately receive an answer to this question: What happened, and why was the defendant acquitted?” the Prime Minister said, adding that he would soon propose that representatives of the judiciary develop a mechanism for providing the public with explanations in such cases.