Expenses for Alen Simonian's Residence Kept Secret: Response to Aregnaz Manukyan's Inquiry Received

It has previously been reported that Alen Simonian, not content with purchasing a $200,000 luxury car at the expense of the budget, is also renovating the governmental summer residence in Kond in order to move there. This was stated by Aregnaz Manukyan, a member of the "Armenia" parliamentary faction, on her Facebook page.

"I informed that I had sent an inquiry to the head of the staff of the Government of Armenia, Arayik Harutyunyan, requesting clarification on the following questions:
1. Which specific government residence is being renovated for Alen Simonian?
2. When did the renovation work begin and when will it be completed?
3. How much money has been spent and will be spent on the renovation of this residence, and from what sources have these funds been allocated?
4. How much money will be spent on furnishing this residence? Which company will provide the furniture, and has a competition been announced for the furnishing of Alen Simonian's governmental residence, or is the purchase being made from a single source?
5. When was the last time that this residence was renovated and how much money was spent for that purpose?
6. Is the former Speaker of the National Assembly, now Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, still living in his governmental residence? If yes, when does he plan to vacate it and return it to the government’s inventory?
7. How much money was spent on the renovation of Ararat Mirzoyan's residence, in which year, and from what sources? When was it last renovated and how much money was spent for that purpose?
8. How much money was spent on the renovation of Nikol Pashinyan's residence, in which year, and from what sources? When was it last renovated and how much money was spent for that purpose?

And from the world’s "most democratic" government, the response has been that these expenses are secret and not subject to publication.

In response to my inquiry, Arayik Harutyunyan specifically stated: "According to part 2 of Article 15 of the Law on Procurement of the Republic of Armenia, purchases containing state secrets are included in the procurement plan, specifically for the ceremonial expenses, accommodation, food, and transportation services for officials protected under the Law on Security of Special State Protection.
Considering the above and based on part 3 of Article 6 of the Law on Guarantees of Parliamentary Activities, you may familiarize yourself with the documents in person by visiting the First Division of the Prime Minister's Office." Regarding Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan's residence, it was stated that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, along with their families, reside in the government residences.

Thus, it took only three years for the revolutionaries who used to regularly stream live from the governmental residence, showcasing its sauna, refrigerator, renovations, and every corner, to transform into characters from George Orwell’s "Animal Farm," wrote Manukyan.