Politics 15:34 23/05/2024 Armenia

Expert: ZCMC's donation of 270 million drams to My Step Foundation damages Armenia's rating

Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) recently donated 70 million drams to the My Step Foundation run by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spouse, Anna Hakobyan, stating that the sum was used to implement an educational program and ruling out any corruption risks associated with the donation deal.

Speaking to Panorama.am on Thursday, public and political activist Edgar Ghazaryan reiterated that back in 2019, ZCMC donated 200 million drams to the My Step Foundation.

"The foundation has numerous donors and the biggest of them are anonymous. Possibly, ZCMC gave more money to the fund and remained anonymous. The fund marked the 200 million drams as an anonymous donation, but I learned from another source that it was given by ZCMC. They wanted to keep ZCMC’s donation secret, but the information leaked out," Ghazaryan stated.

Asked whether Edgar Ghazaryan plans to apply to the competent law enforcement agencies to investigate corruption risks in the donation, the activist said: "At this point, it makes no sense because they will not take any action. When there is a change of power, I think that these issues will be discussed separately."

Panorama.am also reached out to Varuzhan Hoktanyan, programs director at the Transparency International's Armenian affiliate, the Anti-Corruption Center (ACC), to find out whether such a donation by ZCMC is considered a corruption offense according to international standards.

Varuzhan Hoktanyan: Internationally, any such transfer evidently poses corruption risks. I never approve donations to foundations somehow linked to government officials or their relatives by businessmen. This is an internationally accepted definition and is best described by the saying, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

It’s more common during elections, but it can also be observed in non-election periods, when an entrepreneur makes donations to the election campaign fund of an official or a party during election and non-election periods. Later, when the party comes to power, relevant laws are adopted to improve their business conditions. This naturally amounts to political corruption and is a common practice globally.

Panorama.am: Could this corruption phenomenon affect Armenia's international rating?

Varuzhan Hoktanyan: The Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which Transparency International calculates based on purely ethical norms, is not done by its Armenian affiliate, but by other organizations. The Transparency International HQ has a department which takes the data and processes it, thus calculating the CPI in our country. The research group of our organization does not look at all issues, and the World Economic Forum has a study of the kind. They conduct surveys among experts and businessmen and draw conclusions based on their outcomes.

Armenia’s slide in the global corruption rankings released in January 2023 was mainly attributed to it. It’s not only about the case involving Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine. Generally, they observed a phenomenon in which leading financial and economic groups influence the government decisions. Thus, there is also the problem of donations, because government would not do it for nothing.

The slide in 2022, compared to the previous years, was linked to it. If such cases are studied more comprehensively, I guess more will be discovered. Notably, Armenia did not improve its position in the corruption perceptions survey in 2023. Let's also not forget that corruption indices are considered in comparison, 180 countries are ranked and the situation in other countries may be much worse, it is moderate in our country. It’s beyond any doubt that a problem exists here.

Panorama.am: How do you view the fact that the government also owns a 25% stake in ZCMC?

Varuzhan Hoktanyan: Regardless of whether the state owns a share or not in the company, such a phenomenon includes corruption risks.



Source Panorama.am
Share |

Newsfeed

17:13
Gold traders in Yerevan protest against tax hike
Gold traders in Yerevan once again gathered outside the Armenian government building on Thursday to protest against the recent tax hike...
16:35
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process not stalled, deputy FM says
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan claims the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process has not come to a standstill, reiterating...
16:05
ZCMC strike: A provocation by ‘dark forces' or a labor dispute?
The protest by employees of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) in Armenia’s Syunik Province, which many initially viewed...
14:33
Japanese man starts dating agency after 2,000 failed dates
A man in Japan established a dating agency to help others in navigating the complexities of love after experiencing 2,000 unsuccessful blind...
14:02
ANCA urges Tulsi Gabbard to investigate U.S. complicity in Artsakh ethnic cleansing
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) on Wednesday congratulated former U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on her confirmation as...
13:36
Armenian church commemorates Prophet Jonah
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Thursday commemorate the Prophet Jonah, one of the minor prophets. The minor prophets are not considered...
13:26
Azerbaijan files arbitration claim against Armenia
Azerbaijan has filed a lawsuit against Armenia in the Hague Arbitration Court, accusing Armenia of environmental destruction in...
12:46
Which pro-government circles are cashing in on ZCMC workers' social issues?
Production operations at the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) in Kajaran, Armenia, have resumed after a strike that lasted more...
11:32
All major highways open to traffic in Armenia
All interstate and republican highways are currently open to traffic across Armenia. The roads connecting the Amberd high mountain...
11:14
White House spox says she's unaware of preconditions for Putin-Trump meeting
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she was not aware of any preconditions set for a possible meeting between Donald Trump and...
17:00
Political analyst reveals what Pashinyan's 'Real Armenia' really means
Political analyst Stepan Danielyan has revealed the true essence of the "Real Armenia" concept promoted by Armenian Prime Minister...
16:35
Snow in store for Valentine's Day
Dry weather is expected across Armenia today. Snow is forecast for most parts of the country late on February 13 and 14 marked as...
16:20
Armenia reaping benefits from EAEU now – Kremlin
Some countries have spent decades waiting to join the European Union (EU), while Armenia is currently reaping significant benefits from its...
15:59
Opposition MP dismisses EU membership bid as unrealistic
The pro-government majority in the Armenian National Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill seeking to launch the process of Armenia’s...
15:11
Constantine Tassoulas elected as new president of Greece
Greece's parliament elected its former speaker, Constantine Tassoulas, as the country's president on Wednesday, approving the...
14:51
Opposition MP blasts Armenian speaker's remarks on Artsakh people
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Mher Mekonyan strongly criticized National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan’s recent remarks on the Artsakh...
14:16
Armenian parliament majority approves EU accession bill
The pro-government majority in the Armenian National Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill seeking to launch the process of Armenia’s...
13:49
Artsakh president slams Armenian parliament speaker's comments
Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan has denounced the Armenian parliament speaker's recent remarks on the Artsakh people and its...
13:12
Trump fires USAID inspector general
The inspector general of the US Agency for International Development was fired on Tuesday, a day after his office released a report critical of...
12:45
Ex-ombudsman: Armenia's ruling party thrives on division
Former Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan accused the leadership of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party of “dividing people, spreading hatred...
12:13
Producer Ruben Mkhitaryan announces run for Gyumri mayor to beat Pashinyan's team
Public figure and producer Ruben Mkhitaryan has announced his decision to run for mayor of Gyumri, Armenia's second largest...
11:30
Armenian GMs secure 2nd and 3rd places at Al-Beruniy Chess Tournament
Armenian GMs Shant Sargsyan and Haik Martirosyan took 2nd and 3rd places respectively at the 2nd International Chess Tournament Al-Beruniy held...
11:15
Poland says Russian military aircraft briefly violated its airspace
Poland's army said a Russian aircraft briefly violated the airspace over the NATO country's territorial waters Tuesday in the latest...
11:04
Erdogan is said to be the descendant of a Greek Pro-Armenian anarchist
By Harut Sassounian www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com Over the years, many articles have appeared in the Turkish press claiming that various...
17:35
Azerbaijan trying to force new concessions on Armenia, MP warns
Azerbaijan has turned the sham trial of 23 Armenian prisoners illegally held in Baku into a propaganda tool and a means of justifying war...
16:35
Russia ready to facilitate Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization, Kremlin says
Moscow is ready to facilitate the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process but would welcome independent efforts of the conflicting sides,...
16:13
'You could have stayed and fought', Armenian speaker tells Artsakh reporter
An Artsakh journalist questioned Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan about the possibility of returning to Artsakh in the...
15:30
Temperatures to rise significantly across Armenia
Dry weather is expected across Armenia on Tuesday and Wednesday. Snow is forecast for most parts of the country later this week. The...
15:05
Mysterious portrait revealed beneath Picasso painting
Art historians studying a painting by Pablo Picasso have uncovered the mysterious portrait of a woman, hidden beneath its surface, CNN...
14:45
Activist accuses Armenian law enforcement of attack cover-up
Opposition activist Artur Chakhoyan has accused Armenian law enforcement officers of concealing material facts related to an attack on him....

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}