The Control Service of the President of the Republic of Armenian revealed gross violations in the work of notaries public; ten of them were punished, Head of the Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan told reporters.

As an example he cited the alienation of 150 common land plots without community councils’ permission. Hovsepyan also reported violations with the use of cash registers. He said that the Control Service tightened control over entertainment and public catering establishments, drugstore, food service companies and medical institutions.

The Service revealed 29% shadow employment. Hovsepyan said that illegal registration of companies allegedly owned by disabled people, single old people or even down-and-outs cause serious damage to the state budget. Criminal proceedings were initiated, but the actual owners of the companies have not been found.

Hovsepyan also criticized the work of traffic police. He pointed out that the traffic police had drawn up only three reports on failed checkups. After the Control Service started inspections, the number of such reports reached 150,000. “Thirty-six of 50 violations of traffic rules were not registered at all, nine were improperly registered, and only five were legal,” Hovsepyan said. Seventeen officers were punished. The inspections also revealed failures to pay for what is known as “gold” license plate numbers. Hovsepyan also reported that 33m AMD purchases were made in defiance of the RA Law on State Purchases, and those responsible were punished.

The Control Service also revealed violations in the work of the RA Ministry of Emergencies. Representatives of only 120 of 320,000 entities were held responsible for minor violations, whereas inspectors registered dozens of violations. Only three entities have been closed over recent years, whereas, according to the documents, over 1,000 of them were to be closed. The Armenian President has focused his attention on the safety of public places, especially after the recent tragedy in Perm.

As regards the RA Rescue Service, only 70 of its 105 offices served the purpose. After inspections were conducted, their number reached 85. The others do not serve the indented purposes. Specifically, one of the offices near Lake Sevan was turned into a holiday center, and five others are walled around.

Hovsepyan said that the violations will not remain unpunished, and preventive measures will be taken.

T.P.