In the conversation with Aravot.am, political analyst Gagik Hambaryan, referring to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s fabulous wealth, urged the Armenian community not to be surprised, because the smallest, provincial Armenian oligarch has much more than the President of Ukraine with population of 45 million people. If Yanukovych’s property is more justified since he was the head of a country with powerful industry and agriculture, the estate of our oligarch has no excuse. “First of all, I must say that none of the leaders of the former Soviet republics has an honest living, and what they are reserving for themselves and their successors is not just. Also, I must say that globally it is as such, we should not think that it is only in Armenia and Russia. They like to show Vladimir Putin’s mansion-houses in Sochi, near Moscow, to give assessments and so on and so forth. The same thing is in Europe with only one difference. If in Europe, you can say that 1-5 percent of the state budget is stolen, depending on the country, in the former Soviet Union countries, 40-80 percent was stolen. Well, here’s the difference, and no leader in any country lives fair. No leader of the country, roughly speaking, is not stupid to life fair having so great leverages and power to live well. Simply, if the risk of corruption makes 1-5 percent in Europe, it does not affect the country’s and the nation’s socio-economic situation, the situation is different in the former Soviet Union and in non-democratic countries. As for Yanukovich, he had hoarded his capital like the former Soviet Union leaders. Coming to power, he is holding businesses of the country with large profitability and monopoly, such as oil, petrol and gas, and also the banks… What is available in the Republic of Armenia can be found in Ukraine, no difference in this case. How did it happen that that the oligarch of Armenia with population of 2.5-3 million people should own a bank, whereas Yanukovich, who is the President of a country of 45 million people, and also the President of a country covering the largest territory of Europe, should not own a bank. Everyone in Ukraine knows very well that “All-Ukrainian Development Bank” belongs to their President. And followed by the sale classic option, as we, so as the other former Soviet Union republics, including Ukraine, the President prefers to give his capital to the family members, specifically the sons. The same Alexander Victori Yanukovych, according to independent data, had a capital of 520 million dollars in different sectors.” According to the political analyst, Yanukovich’s estate for a powerful country like Ukraine is not much. “Ukraine’s socio-economic situation is several times higher than that of the Republic of Armenia, where about 40-45 per cent of population, according to official data, is at the threshold of poverty and lower, while unofficially it exceeds 55-60 percent. So, we should not be surprised, only to wonder why Yanukovych had so little. I admired Yanukovich’s mansion in Mezhgorye (photo), with the zoo and vehicle fleet there. What do you want? Well, go and see how the prosecutors in Armenia are living. The houses of prosecutors living in regular places of poor Armenia are castles. Now, is it a shame for the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s house is a castle? The only problem is that theirs is visible and ours is not visible, we see ours only from outside, tuff walls and magnificent. Ultimately, if the president of a country with 2.5 million people has all of these, why shouldn’t the president of 45 million people have it, if you want to know the truth it would be a shame if he did not have it,” said the political analyst.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
