Epress.am News from Armenia
Zhoghovurd daily newspaper writes that the Head of Armenia's presidential Oversight Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan has confirmed that the Service has been conducting inspections for nearly a week in the country's Ministry of Defense.
The officials' attention, the paper notes, is primarily focused on the procurement process carried out by the Ministry: “[The inspections] are not related to procurement of ammunition, rather the process of purchasing non-military goods for Armenia's Armed Forces.”
Zhoghovurd stresses that Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center published Thursday it's latest Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index, according to which “the Defense Ministry, as well as individual staff members, own a majority shares in trade organizations activities and financial statements of which are not transparent.”
“Initially, several Defense Ministry employees tried to 'convince' the inspectors to 'overlook' some facts. The word is that the results of more comprehensive check-ups could lead to the resignation of Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan. According to rumours circulating in the Ministry, a thorough probe into the procurement process might reveal that some members of the minister's family have influenced this process,” Zhoghovurd says.