PM calls ANIF’s work a failure and disgrace

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has described the activities of the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) as a "failure and disgrace."

"Failure, disgrace, and a very bad reality," he said, according to CivilNet.

Reports on possible large-scale financial mismanagement at ANIF have been circulating in the press since 2021. A journalist reminded the prime minister that the findings of the State Supervision Service’s investigations were only made public at the end of 2023 and asked why no one has been charged yet, why the investigation is being conducted by just one investigator, and how he assesses the process of uncovering potential misconduct.

"My opinion on who should or should not be prosecuted has no legal power. The proper procedures must be followed. I consider this an unacceptable breach of trust. Disgrace—call it whatever you like, I will agree," Pashinyan stressed.

When asked whether the case could have political consequences, the prime minister responded: "First, we need to determine what actually happened. Accounting must be clarified. Law enforcement agencies must handle this. The political assessment is: failure and disgrace."

In early 2024, a criminal case was launched regarding ANIF’s alleged financial misconduct. No charges have been filed so far. The investigation is being conducted by the Special Cases Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee. The case was initiated based on the findings of the State Supervision Service.

In 2023, the State Supervision Service conducted inspections at ANIF. According to CivilNet, during these inspections, ANIF signed a contract with the consulting firm Ernst & Young to conduct a comparative study on executive salaries based on international experience. It is believed that ANIF’s leadership sought to justify their high salaries by spending more than $30,000 for this purpose.