Video: Under the Leadership of Vano Siradeghyan, a Locomotive was Also Stolen - Vardan Ghukasyan on the Violations

“When the earthquake occurred, unfortunately, due to the authorities, the help that came at that time from the leaders of the Armenian National Movement was squandered,” said Vardan Ghukasyan, a lawmaker from the Prosperous Armenia Party and former mayor of Gyumri, in an interview with Armdaily.am.

According to him, the aid that arrived after the earthquake could not only restore the disaster zone but also build the entire Armenia. “That money was squandered and filled the fields. Huge sums were looted. I regret that instead of healing the wounds of our brothers and sisters, they stole and took from here,” he added.

“After the earthquake, when you entered Gyumri, you saw tens of thousands of cranes; all of them were taken and looted by the leadership at that time. Besides, there was one children’s railway that had not been demolished, and under Vano Siradeghyan's leadership, the locomotive was also stolen and taken to Yerevan. The stadium that was built was entirely constructed from building materials from the disaster zone. I regret that such leaders existed and have not been held accountable until today,” he added further.

Ghukasyan noted that during his years as mayor, 15,000 apartments were built, and 40,000 shacks were removed from the city. “What you now see in the city was built during my time,” he said.