SAMVEL BABAYAN, THE MAIN ACCUSED OF THE CASE OF THE TERRORIST ACT AGAINST RNK PRESIDENT, STARTED TO MAKE STATEMENTS
03.10.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. Today RNK ex defense minister, Lieutenant-General Samvel Babayan, the main accused of the case of the terrorist act against the RNK President started to make statements.
As the correspondent of MEDIAMAX reports from Stepanakert, S. Babayan started his statements from spring 1998, when after the resignation of RNK prime minister Leonard Petrosian he expressed the wish to combine the posts of the Head of the government and the defense minister of the country, which was refused by RNK president Arkady Ghukasian.
In mid-1999 a bug was found in the President's cabinet; S. Babayan denied his participation in its setting. This fact, as well as the change of the government caused aggravation in the RNK's domestic political situation, as a result of which S. Babayan was dismissed from his post, though still kept the post of the Commander of RNK Defense Army. In December 1999 he was discharged from this post too, after which, as Babayan asserts, the authorities began to persecute him.
Replying to the questions of the court, S. Babayan confessed that he had ordered to take unregistered weapon from the ammunition depot of the military unit to his native village when he was no longer the Commander of the Army. Babayan also confirmed the fact that a meeting was summoned on his initiative in summer 1999 in the Defense ministry, where the question of coup d'etate was considered. The State Prosecutor asked whether the Army Commander was competent to put such a question and, consequently, if such meeting was legal. Babayan refused to answer this question, saying that he was directed by the situation.
The ex defense minister denies his role in the organization of the terrorist act against RNK president. He said today that many people, those in the dock among them, had appealed to him with the request to physically eliminate Arkady Ghukasian. After this the accused David Gulyan, Ararat Musaelian and Varuzhan Melkumian named Babayan's words "lie and slander".
When S.Babayan stated that he had made the confession under the influence of some medicaments, the State Prosecutor asked him to confirm that he is taking some medicines with doctors' knowledge and on their advice, because of catarrhal and chronic diseases of some of his organs. S. Babayan confirmed this fact. The trial is in process.
The trial of the case of the March 22 terrorist act against RNK president Arkady Ghukasian started on September 18 in Stepanakert. The main accused of the case is RNK ex defense minister, Lieutenant-General Samvel Babayan. -0-
As the correspondent of MEDIAMAX reports from Stepanakert, S. Babayan started his statements from spring 1998, when after the resignation of RNK prime minister Leonard Petrosian he expressed the wish to combine the posts of the Head of the government and the defense minister of the country, which was refused by RNK president Arkady Ghukasian.
In mid-1999 a bug was found in the President's cabinet; S. Babayan denied his participation in its setting. This fact, as well as the change of the government caused aggravation in the RNK's domestic political situation, as a result of which S. Babayan was dismissed from his post, though still kept the post of the Commander of RNK Defense Army. In December 1999 he was discharged from this post too, after which, as Babayan asserts, the authorities began to persecute him.
Replying to the questions of the court, S. Babayan confessed that he had ordered to take unregistered weapon from the ammunition depot of the military unit to his native village when he was no longer the Commander of the Army. Babayan also confirmed the fact that a meeting was summoned on his initiative in summer 1999 in the Defense ministry, where the question of coup d'etate was considered. The State Prosecutor asked whether the Army Commander was competent to put such a question and, consequently, if such meeting was legal. Babayan refused to answer this question, saying that he was directed by the situation.
The ex defense minister denies his role in the organization of the terrorist act against RNK president. He said today that many people, those in the dock among them, had appealed to him with the request to physically eliminate Arkady Ghukasian. After this the accused David Gulyan, Ararat Musaelian and Varuzhan Melkumian named Babayan's words "lie and slander".
When S.Babayan stated that he had made the confession under the influence of some medicaments, the State Prosecutor asked him to confirm that he is taking some medicines with doctors' knowledge and on their advice, because of catarrhal and chronic diseases of some of his organs. S. Babayan confirmed this fact. The trial is in process.
The trial of the case of the March 22 terrorist act against RNK president Arkady Ghukasian started on September 18 in Stepanakert. The main accused of the case is RNK ex defense minister, Lieutenant-General Samvel Babayan. -0-
