The Anti-Corruption Policy Council today held a session chaired by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan reported on the course of implementation of the actions to be carried out in 2020 under the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the 2019-2020 Action Plan and the results of monitoring and evaluation. Based on the results, almost half of the actions planned for 2020 have been completely implemented, while some actions were partially implemented due to the pandemic and the situation created after the war.

The Prime Minister attached importance to the addressability of the anti-corruption measures and asked about the effectiveness of those measures in practice and to the consistent efforts for prevention of manifestations of political corruption. In this context, Chairperson of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption Haikuhi Harutunyan stated that the Commission conducts ongoing studies on persons holding state positions and doing business at the same time and has sent the results of inspections to law-enforcement authorities. Harutyunyan added that criminal cases have been launched and are in the stage of preliminary investigation.

Touching upon the current report on the activities of the Commission, Harutyunyan stated that, in the reporting period, the Commission has conducted integrity checks of candidates for prosecutor, judges, judge of the Constitutional Court and members of the Supreme Judicial Council. The Commission has also continued to improve the system of declaration of assets, incomes and interests.

The justice minister presented the steps being taken to ensure legislation on the creation of the Anti-Corruption Committee and Anti-Corruption Courts and their operation. According to the legislation, five judges of specialized and appellate anti-corruption courts will investigate the civil cases launched on the basis of the Law on Civil Forfeiture of Illegal Assets.