February 15, 2002 - 22:10 AMT
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO CONSIDER APPEAL CONCERNING "ARMENTEL" COMPANY OFFENCE
In the course of the 11 months of its activity the interdepartmental commission examining execution of the investment program of "ArmenTel" company discovered many offences of the investor "OTE" Greek company, which holds 90% of "ArmenTel" shares. "Arminfo" agency reports that Minister of Transport and Communication Andrannik Manukian said that the interdepartmental commission has made a decision to appeal to the Republic Prosecutor General to consider the available facts of offences and to recompense the material damage caused to the Republic. The chief of the interdepartmental commission working group Serzh Sargsian in his turn expressed opinion that "ArmenTel" had not fulfilled its investment obligations. In his words, the company intentionally presented a bigger amount of investment by exaggerating the cost of the equipment being imported, which frequently does not correspond to the latest technical standards. Sargsian also noted that delinquency was also discovered in the data concerning the company income, which was understated. Having familiarized himself with the data presented by the interdepartmental commission, Chairman of the temporary parliamentary commission to study the governmental activity in the sphere of communications Vazgen Manukian expressed his opinion that if "AremenTel" did not fulfill the license requirements, it was necessary to raise the question of depriving the company of the license. Manukian expressed indignity concerning the Government belated response to "ArmenTel" offences.