By Armen Zakarian
Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian told RFE/RL on 19 July that the newly formed anti-corruption department of the Prosecutor General's office has launched a successful campaign against corruption. Hovsepian praised the activities of the department, which he said was tasked to fight corruption within the system. "The department works very effectively," Hovsepian told RFE/RL. "The new anti-corruption department launched an investigation into several new corruption cases." Asked when the results of those investigations will be publicized, Hovsepian answered: "You'll know about the results following our everyday work."
Hovsepian spoke to RFE/FL after a meeting in the Yerevan City Prosecutor's office, whose performance so far this year he was evaluating. "The main cases under the investigation are connected with the state property," he said.
Hovsepian did not agree that the recent appointments of new prosecutors in line with President Robert Kocharian's decree are just "rotation." That is "because some new appointments were made as well," Hovsepian argued. He explained the reason behind the new appointments. "We want to ensure their independence from local influence. If a prosecutor works for a long time in the same region, some local links, influences emerge. We'll try to solve these problems by using the rotation system in the future as well."
The President's press office made public on 19 July the relevant decree which Kocharian signed on 16 July, and which appointed over one dozen prosecutors to new positions.