Artur Sakunts. “Corruption Mechanism Functions in the Army like a Clock”
13:49, February 4, 2013 | News | Right to Fair Trial, Right to Life, Rights of Soldiers/Recruits | Armed Forces, Prevention of Corruption
Mr. Sakunts, how do you estimate the situation of the Armenian Army in 2012?
The situation in our Armed Forces is concerning, especially with regard to the situation of human rights. One of the reasons of it is that the mortality rate in the Army does not decline. There is impunity in the Armed Forces while chances to conquer it or submit appeals and receive tangible outcomes are lacking. The pervasive nature of corruptions is also disturbing: there is no oversight mechanism regarding soldiers’ food, clothing and fuel expenses. The lack of monitoring level is tremendous. Great resources are provided to military sphere and pilfering and stealing is simply very seductive for commanders and other military officials. From the viewpoint of elections, the Army is made a wonderful resource to serve for political purposes. The list of voters are kept confidential, which are under control of their commanders and the soldiers are told by their commanders who to vote for.
In conformity with your data, how many death cases were recorded in the RA Armed Forces within 2012?
Overall number of death cases in the Armed Forces during 2010 was 48 cases, as compared with 38 cases of the previous year. The preliminary investigation or the investigation over death cases targeted at revealing the actual circumstances is not trustworthy. Because the criminal cases we are involved in show that irrelevant estimate is given to the commanders’ inactivity or abuse of their official positions.
If the serviceman commits a suicide it means a degrading treatment has been applied against him. By decree #0038, the Armed Forces were used against peaceful civilians on March 1 of 2008. They do not want to create the impression that the Army can shoot at its own compatriots, therefore, in many of the cases they don’t want to file cases by articles on murder. The corruption in the Army spoils a lot. The statement, issued by Defense Minister or other officials, that the Army is a mirror reflecting its society is rather true since the whole country is embedded in corruption and the army cannot stand apart from it. Corruption mechanism functions in the Army like a clock. Everything takes place confidentally. Who provides pork to the Army? I know that one of the Military Prosecutor’s Office officials stands in the shade of this.
The legal proceedings of Mataghis case reached a successful completion, do you think the actual perpetrators of the servicemen’s murder will be punished?
We have stated that pursuit against the 3 boys must be stopped, the verdict should enter into final legal force and only after that we’ll pass on the protection of rights of the aggrived party. We must display consistency in our struggle.
What does our Army need more today? Do we have a most powerful Army in the region?
I am more interested in the fact that our Army provides adequate defense of our country. I am convinced that in an army where ther is respect towards the serviceman, concerns over his health, this type of army cannot but be battleworthy. There are also issues in the armies of democratic countries, but there are mechanisms set up to settle these issues. We have made a recommendation that the head of Defense Department should submit an annual report to the NA regarding the situation of statutory relations and human rights in the Army, also recommended to create a military ombudsman as an independent body but they declined it.
Do you think Mass Media should highlight army-related issues?
Certainly, they should be elucidated and not only: such an illiterate approach that the more such issues are highlighted the lower the army’s reputation will get, cannot but be credited. The criminals who make good use of the Army resources lead to the dishonoring reputation of the Armed Forces and those crimes must be revealed. One of the most efficient means of revelation of those crimes is elucidation of those issues. And those who are concerned by the declining reputation of the Army, they must make efforts to have the disgracing crimes unfolded. And if they are concerned why those crimes are highlighted, thus, they are also a part of those crimes or are quite in favor of concealing them.