Epress.am News from Armenia
The Law on the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia being discussed in parliament is actually a law about securing a job for former Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, said Armenian National Congress MP Nikol Pashinyan (pictured) during discussion of the draft law in parliament today, suggesting that the newly created body will be headed by Hovsepyan.
This way, according to Pashinyan, the National Assembly assumes the role of an agent securing employment for Aghvan Hovsepyan.
The opposition MP recalled that the idea of establishing an investigative committee arose when Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan decided not to nominate Hovsepyan for the prosecutor general position.
"Why didn't he put his name forward? Not because Aghvan Hovsepyan was worthy of dismissal as a corrupt person exercising political persecution, as someone who prevents disclosing killings. Serzh Sargsyan dismissed him for completely different, conjectural reasons. Aghvan Hovsepyan worked for 15 years as Armenia's prosecutor general and had some serious leverage of influence within government. Serzh Sargsyan want to show the ruling team that, as before, the authorities hold the levers of power," he said.
According to the MP, now Sargsyan is installing Hovsepyan (in this new position) because he doesn't want him together with his shadow connections to replenish the army of people disgruntled with Serzh Sargsyan.
Pashinyan compared this situation with that which happened in 2011–2012, when Serzh Sargsyan a few months ahead of the 2012 parliamentary elections dismissed National Assembly Chair Hovik Abrahamyan, then reinstated him after elections.
"The draft law created a group led by Aghvan Hovsepyan, and the former prosecutor general was so 'modest' that he is preordained with the title of Lieutenant-General [a title given to the head of the investigative committee]. The title of state advisor of justice, apparently, didn't satisfy him any more," suggested Pashinyan.
The lawmaker also expressed an opinion that by combining the investigative bodies of the police and the defense ministry into a single investigative committee, Sargsyan solves a few conjectural issues; for example, reducing to a certain extent the influence of the police chief and the defense minister — stripping quite influential pieces from their agencies.
"One of these is showing signs of political ambitions; while the other, [Serzh Sargsyan] saw that others are trying to reserve the role of political leader," he said.
With the draft law, in Pashinyan's opinion, Sargsyan reinforces also the prime minister, who has reserved his candidacy to be nominated as head of the investigative committee.