Today, members of the Armenian CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition had a meeting with RA Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan, during which the proposals were discussed. Deputy Prosecutor General Hayk Aslanyan, Adviser Gor Abrahamian and Head of Corruption and Economic Crimes Division Arsen Simonyan also attended the meeting-discussion.
The meeting was aimed to discuss issues related to ensure public awareness, building effective mechanisms for participation in the fight against corruption crimes and the implementation of joint measures in the scope of priorities of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the RA Prosecutor’s Office and the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition.
Arthur Davtyan mentioned in his speech that he is seriously concerned about the coalition’s activities and the necessity of prompt and active exchange of information on the corruption crimes with the coalition and the results of the fight against them. It will have a significant impact on both the development of the whistleblowers’’ institute and the detection of possible cases of illegal enrichment through the proper control over the data presented in the property and income declarations of officials.
Karen Zadoyan, the President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association and the Coordinator of the Secretariat of the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia highlighting the cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office in the fight against corruption, stressed the need for the establishment of the platform for CSOs-Prosecutor’s Office cooperation.
For example there was a proposal to create a possibility in the website of the prosecutor’s office which will enable citizens to personally provide links to the publication of the media and draw special attention to specific publications as it is provided for in case of the whistleblowers’ institute. He also added that the Coalition and the Armenian Lawyers’ Association are in the roots of the introduction of the Whistleblowers’ Institute, and have repeatedly stated that the whistleblowing system should be operated and controlled by a single body, which should be the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The Coalition and the Armenian Lawyers’ Association have already developed and presented to the RA Prosecutor General’s Office a legal document with a number of suggestions on the mechanisms and criteria for the initiation of criminal cases based on reports of corruption offenses.
The Parties reached agreements on the organization of more substantive discussions in working formats in the near future.
