Prime Minister Emphasizes Work on Preventing Political Corruption

The council meeting on Anti-Corruption Policy, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, was held at the government headquarters. This information was provided by the Press Division of the Prime Minister's Office.

Several issues included in the agenda were discussed. Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan reported on the implementation progress of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the activities planned for 2019-2020, focusing on the monitoring and evaluation results. According to the report, nearly half of the planned activities for 2020 were fully implemented, 13 activities were completed on a larger scale than expected, there were no unimplemented activities, although some were only partially realized. The latter circumstance, according to the minister, was influenced by the situation created by the pandemic and the war, which affected the priorities of state governance.

The Prime Minister underscored the relevance of anti-corruption measures and expressed interest in their practical effectiveness. Nikol Pashinyan specifically noted the importance of continuing work to prevent manifestations of political corruption. In this context, the chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Haykuhi Harutyunyan, mentioned that the Commission conducts ongoing studies on individuals holding public office while simultaneously engaging in business activities, with findings and conclusions regarding certain officials sent to law enforcement agencies. There are criminal cases initiated, which are currently under preliminary investigation.

Addressing the current report of the Commission's activities, Harutyunyan noted that during the reporting period, checks on the integrity of 47 individuals subject to public office appointments, including candidates for prosecutor, judge, constitutional court judges, and members of the Supreme Judicial Council, were conducted; of these, 26 were positive, 16 were positive with reservations, 4 were negative, and no conclusion was provided for one case. The work to improve the property, income, and interest declaration system has continued, with the number of declarants tripling compared to 2019, and nearly 640 declarations analyzed, including 210 from members of the Supreme Judicial Council, judges of the Constitutional Court, and their family members. Based on the analysis results, the Commission initiated 4 proceedings regarding violations of conduct rules, incompatibility requirements, and other restrictions and presented corresponding conclusions.

A new electronic system's competition was announced, intended to serve as a digital tool in the fight against corruption. With the support of international experts, a methodology for a comprehensive assessment of corruption risks in the public administration system has been developed. The most risky areas selected for assessment include appointment to office, promotion, performance evaluation, public budget management, and public procurement. The process is set to commence soon.

Within the framework of the agenda items, the Justice Minister presented legislative packages aimed at establishing the Anti-Corruption Committee and Anti-Corruption Courts and the steps taken to ensure their functionality. These bodies will be responsible for investigating corruption-related crimes. Badasyan noted that these legislative packages had been approved by the National Assembly in the first reading and awaited the second reading. Currently, discussions are underway regarding the deployment of these bodies, ensuring building conditions, staffing, internal integrity, the final clarification of their operational scope, effective organization of joint work with interested agencies, and technical provision.

The legislative package for Anti-Corruption Courts stipulates that the five judges of specialized and appellate anti-corruption courts will examine civil cases initiated based on the “Law on the Confiscation of Illegally Obtained Property.” The Prime Minister inquired about the parallel efforts to confiscate illegally obtained property. It was noted that, in this context, 4 cases are in the final stages, and the process of specialization for the judges who will examine these cases has begun under the Supreme Judicial Council. In this context, the meeting expressed the opinion that accelerating the process of establishing Anti-Corruption Courts would enhance the effectiveness of reforms in the justice sector. The issue of judges' remuneration was also discussed. The Prime Minister noted that adequate remuneration for judges of Anti-Corruption Courts would play a locomotive role and contribute to quality work.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the necessity of introducing mechanisms for the internal integrity of personnel in anti-corruption bodies, viewing it as a priority for the functioning of the system formed on new criteria. The council meeting also presented a legislative package aimed at the comprehensive disclosure of real beneficiaries. Rustam Badasyan stated that there are plans to introduce an effective mechanism for the disclosure of actual owners by merging the existing two institutions of real beneficiaries and owners. This will apply to all legal entities and aims to enhance the transparency of actual owners through the introduction of an electronic system and the creation of a comprehensive informational database. The information will be public. It is expected that along with the complete formation of the bodies within the anti-corruption system, the efficiency of this process will improve.