‘It was a purely legal discussion’ – NSS director on phone recording
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. National Security Service (NSS) director Arthur Vanetsyan confirms that the sound recording which was published online is in fact a phone conversation between himself and Special Investigative Service (SIS) director Sasun Khachatryan.
Speaking at a press conference today, Vanetsyan stressed that it is very strange that the phone conversation of the NSS director and the SIS director were wiretapped.
“This is a concerning fact, regarding which a detailed investigation will take place, and the recording source will be revealed, as to who has recorded the conversation. If I am not mistaken, a criminal case has been launched in the general prosecution in this regard and soon we will know all details,” he said.
Speaking about the recording, Vanetsyan stressed that the conversation took place on the day when the court remanded into custody former President Robert Kocharyan. “You’ve all heard the conversation, you know what it is about, I won’t go into details, I simply want to say that taking into account the fact that former President Robert Kocharyan and CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov were facing the court, it was required to be 100% certain that there are no flaws in this case. A similar discussion has taken place between me and Mr. Khachatryan. It was a purely legal discussion,” he said.
Speaking about what led to the conversation, Vanetsyan said that he received a report, an expert opinion, where certain clarifications were required about the grounds. “I sent the report to Mr. Khachatryan, and he, as a lawyer, gave the explanations regarding the issue. Mr. Khachatryan will present it more detailed in terms of the legal part. I would like to once again stress that what we do, the struggle which we have begun, we will continue, and nothing will obstruct us. There can’t be any obstruction in the work which we have started. I will return the money stolen from Armenia, murderers will face the courts, and this process is indivertible,” he said.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan