“Yelq” faction deputy Edmon Marukyan complained to Vardan Yeghiazaryan, Deputy Chief of Police for discussing the 2018 budget draft in the National Assembly, that although much money is spent, many people are fined by speedometers, and patrol cars, it does not prevent and does not reduce accidents and the resulting deaths: “You fine people, but it does not change anything, except that the money goes to your extrabudgetary, we cannot stop it by fining people. If the police do not turn into a Ministry, is not controlled by the Parliament, if we do not have Ministry of Internal Affairs, call it the way you wish, I do not foresee the development of the police”.
Republican MP, former Chief of Police Alik Sargsyan responded, that they consider the police to be a scapegoat, whatever happens, they blame the police, including the traffic police who are blamed for the increase of the accidents, whereas they should seek for the reason somewhere else: “There are many objective and subjective reasons”.
He said that they are trying to tie the problems on police. He gave an example of who is responsible for emergency situations referring to the Ministry of Transport and Communications: “I am talking about the Artashat-Yerevan highway, the so-called road concretized with modern technology, which had caused so much joy. I want you to analyze how many accidents and resulting deaths had happened on that highway within a year. Only the police are called for responsibility. Not the police are liable for these cases, but another body, which must give a response itself”.
He complained that they close the road whenever they want, reasonably or unreasonably, and drivers are being directed to take another road, which causes accidents especially at night: “This puts the drivers into a situation, where they face another traffic on the parallel road, where unnecessary asphalting works are underway on the concretized road, the drivers brake which brings to a string of accidents. There are many such problems. This road has become a scourge. Please, relieve yourself of this responsibility, Mr. Yeghiazaryan. People are not aware who is to blame for this. The police have nothing to do with it. There are other bodies, who are totally left out of this criticism”.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
