Executive Director of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center Varuzhan Hoktanyan in an interview with Lragir.am - said that it is disappointing that the Attorney General, previously the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Strategy Monitoring Commission Gevorg Kostanyan’s resignation is related to the abuses and violations commiteed by the companies supplying food to the army which are associated with his name. Even if this is so, it is unlikely that he is the owner of these companies according to legal documents. It is necessary to reveal the actual owners of these companies through the use of legal mechanisms.

According to Varuzhan Hoktanyan, it is important that officials stop abusing their power, stop constantly winning contests and throwing competitors out of the market. The conflict of interests for companies which hold dominant positions and monopolies should be ceased. Cases of false declarations by officials ought to be the subject of investigation by the appropriate authorities, who should be empowered to examine and understand where these falsifications are from. It is necessary to proceed from transparency to accountability, not only show the strange origin of the revenues, but also to explain their origin.

When the current political and economic system changes, corruption with its internal resources will become less necessary because corruption is often the result of imperfect institutions. Normal political, economic and administrative mechanisms will reduce corruption without special strategies, action plans and other measures. We have to try to make strategy less imitational and more realistic, although this strategy’s potential will not be as great. Even the authorities admit that the previous two strategies have not had great results.

See Lragir.am writes.