Armenia – corruption and state funds
What always surprises me is that so many government officials feel that they will get away with corrupt behaviors. Year after year government officials worldwide find themselves arrested and yet, they simply don’t seem to learn. Recently, in Armenia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF), which had been created in 2019 in an effort to encourage foreign investors as well as promoting Armenian exports and supporting local businesses. Unfortunately, the Fund was not successful and was liquidated just recently, amidst corruption allegations. “ANIF's former executive director, has been charged with money laundering, abuse of power and forgery of documents. Similar charges have also been brought against Bella Manukian, the former head of an ANIF subsidiary that invested in 2023 over 1.5 billion drams ($3.8 million) in an obscure company newly registered in the US state of Delaware.” Several other highly placed individuals were being investigated, including individuals with ties to the Mayor of Yerevan.
Why is this important? Unfortunately, this is a classic example of high level corruption, where senior officials, who should have acted in the interest of their citizens, did the exact opposite. Thankfully, nowadays there is greater investigation of these powerful individuals, and the CSOs also continue to do their jobs. It would have been good to see more comments from donors, but at least the systems that have been created are working. The hope is that the judicial systems will also work, and if these officials are found guilty, they will be jailed, which will be a cautionary tale of governmental abuse and reassure the citizens that there are checks on their government.
Link: