Prime Minister: all the people’s money stolen down to the last luma will be returned to the people

ArmInfo. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia cannot give instructions to the Prosecutor General’s Office regarding the confiscation of illegally acquired property. Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated this from the rostrum of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on September 16, responding to a question from National Assembly deputy Mesrop Manukyan of the opposition "Armenia" faction.

The deputy, in particular, pointed to shortcomings in the process of confiscating illegally acquired property. Despite the relevant inquiries regarding the number of and participants in property confiscation proceedings, there has still been no response.

In response, the prime minister noted that if the Prosecutor General’s Office does not consider it necessary to provide certain information, then it has grounds for doing so.  In addition, the confiscation process itself is widely covered and presented by the supervisory body.  The prime minister recalled a decision of the Constitutional Court, according to which situations related to changes in the conditions of this process may arise during confiscation proceedings. Pashinyan noted that the parliamentarian’s question was purely legal in nature and fell outside the scope of his powers. Nevertheless, the prime minister once again assured that the people’s money stolen down to the last luma would be returned to the people.  Pashinyan also pointed to the need to amend the current legislation so that all illegally acquired property would be returned to the state, rather than 75% of it, as is currently the case. "Even illegally acquired footwear must be returned," Nikol Pashinyan said.