YEREVAN. – It has become an ordinary phenomenon that many Armenian officials’ telephones and the license plates of their vehicles have repeating, “gold” numbers, Haykakan Zhamanak daily writes.     

“But it became apparent that the passport serial numbers of Armenia’s ‘elite’ are likewise ‘gold.’

The daily interviewed Police Passport and Visa Department Chief Hovhannes Kocharyan, and below is an excerpt. 

If anyone wishes to have a passport with specific numbers, how is that possible?

That is ruled out. We do not render such service.

Then how is it possible that the passports of some group of people always have repeating numbers, or zeros?

I am hearing for the first time that such thing could occur with a specially programmed fashion. This is a coincidence.  

Especially the passport serial numbers of senior officials are always ‘gold numbers.’ How is it that such ‘coincidences’ are primarily occurring with them?  

You should ask this question to those senior officials. 

But is it not your Department that issues the passports? 

I have not witnessed such incidents. I believe what you say is about a very old phenomenon,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.