Yesterday, the police informed about an operation which, I believe, was as important as the arrest of General Manvel. Former Head of the Presidential Oversight Service and former Head of State Revenue Committee of Armenia, Hovhannes Hovsepyan, was “disarmed” together with his bodyguards: the police stopped him and his “retinue” of cars and discovered a huge arsenal in his cars. Current and former officials and oligarchs have such a habit to be accompanied by several vehicles, weapons and ammunition while driving in the city. This is their way of self-affirmation. Are they afraid that an assassination attempt will be committed against them? I think so, but they are more afraid that the National Security Service will pursue them and reveal their sources of wealth.
I look forward to this kind of operation to be carried out also against several dozens more officials and oligarchs, so that they understand that their time has already passed. So that they understand that they are no longer feudal and “authority”. The authority is the one who stops at a red light, who pays taxes, who based on his position or money does not feel superior to his fellow citizens who have no position or money.
A journalist asks MPs: “you condemn Manvel Grigoryan for behaving as a feudal in his city and surroundings, is not your party head the same feudal in another city and its surroundings?”. An MP responds: “you fulfill an order”: a magical formula for “avoiding” an unpleasant question. However, we should understand that large and small feudals in different cities and villages are first of all the result of our nonsufficient awareness of the law, and it is not that after blocking the streets for a few days, all the residents of Armenia became citizens. That is why we are intolerant not generally against any illegalities, but only against those committed by people we do not like.
So, dear law enforcement officers, search any millionaire’s castle, stop any oligarch’s accompanying car, and I am for 100 percent sure that you will at least discover illegal weapons, maybe even stew.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
