Following the recent murder of Albert Ghazaryan, the general public prosecutor of Lori region, many people started discussing that it might be connected with the former governor of Lori, Henrik Kochinyan and the mayor of Vanadzor, Samvel Darbinyan. The reason, as it appears to be, is the criminal cases launched under several articles by the regional public prosecutor’s office connected with the machinations and violations at the drainage cleaning plant. These violations are connected with the actions of Kochinyan and mayor Darbinyan. However, the Police has not informed anything about it yet. Notwithstanding, they have neither rejected the rumors that former governor Kochinyan and mayor Darbinyan are connected with this crime. To note, the mentioned violations took place in 2005. At that time, the government made a decision to take this cleaning plant out of the regional management board balance of Lori region and give its management under the responsibility of the city administration office of Vanadzor. Upon that transaction a commission was founded consisting of representatives of both the regional management board and the city administration office, which implemented the delivery-acceptance transaction, thus hiding a number of violations and machinations (the facilities, tubes, machinery and other worthy materials of the plant). By the way, the construction of this plant cost at more than AMD200 (the construction started in 1979), which, according to the publication of a number of Mass Media outlets, has been just grabbed by the former governor of Lori, the existing mayor of Vanadzor city and several other officials. In addition, in 2004 by the permit of Kochinyan and the order of Samvel Darbinyan “Argishti 1” LLC (which director is S.Darbinyan’s brother) alienated the concrete production unit of the plant, which it fully used for the construction of a church built by “Argishti 1” LLC. Such alienations by the permit of S.Darbinyan have also taken place in the cleaning unit of the hydrometeorological office of Lori region. Thus, as the rumors are connecting the murder of the general public prosecutor of Lori region, Albert Ghazaryan, with the names of former governor of Lori region Henrik Kochinyan and the existing mayor of Vanadzor city, Samvel Darbinyan, yesterday we tried to ask them personally about their reaction to the mentioned direct or indirect accusations. It turned out that Henrik Kochinyan is so indifferent to such accusations that these days is “bulking grass” in the mountains of Lori region.
– Mr. Kochinyan, what kind of relations did you have with Albert Khazaryan?
– Normal relations.
– Normal good or bad? Did you meet often?
– When I was in office we met often, but since I terminated working in such capacity we met once or twice.
– Have you been called to the public prosecutor’s office for testimony connected with the violations in the drainage cleaning plant?
– No. I haven’t been called to the prosecutor’s office. That case is not investigated by the prosecutor’s office, but by the criminal investigation department of the police. It is not in charge of the prosecutor’s office.
– Do you mean that Mr. Ghazaryan was not involved in the investigation process?
– He kept the case under his supervision due to being the public prosecutor.
– Haven’t you tried to meet him in connection with that case?
– No.
– Why is this murder connected with your name?
– Who does connect it with my name?
– The rumors also refer to the violations in the plant, which concern you too.
– There isn’t any legal proceeding against me. No, there isn’t. Definitely “Yerkir Media” TV company has certain political problems with Kochinyan Henrik and they smell the air and broadcast whatever they want.
– What problems?
– I don’t know.
– What do you think? Which is the reason of this murder?
– Tell you frankly I don’t know; I haven’t asked anyone.
– Aren’t there any rumors there?
– Do you know where I am and what I am doing now? I am in the mountains and I am bulking grass.
– Haven’t you been called to the prosecutor’s office connected with this murder?
– No, why did they have to call me?
– Because your name is discussed too.
– They can’t involve me in such cases.
– Why?
– I have a human image, which cannot do such things. Can I change in a minute? I am who I am; since my birth through my death, and I can’t change.
Yesterday we contacted with mayor Samvel Darbinyan too, whose competitor during the elections for the mayor’s position was, by the way, Albert Ghazaryan’s wife’s brother, Gagik Hovsepyan. According to the press coverage, during the elections there were serious conflicts between these two candidates and their supporters, included gunshots, kidnapping, beatings and later appealing of the outcome.
– Mr. Darbinyan, as this murder is connected with your name referring to the violations in the drainage cleaning plant and the further criminal case launched by the prosecutor’s office, could you please tell us about your relations with A. Ghazaryan?
– We had normal relations to the extent that a mayor and a prosecutor may have.
– Have you met him connected with the mentioned case?
– Which case?
– The violations at the drainage cleaning plant.
– There wasn’t anything that could involve me in that process. This was spread by media and particularly in the prosecutor’s office there hasn’t been any problem with me.
– Who could be involved?
– I mean those rumors were spread by media. The prosecutor’s office has not generally called me or done anything in that matter. These rumors were spread by media and I don’t understand who they were and why they did it. I don’t understand why they did so.
– Who is connected with that case if Henrik Kochinyan and you are refuting?
– Which case?
– Concerning the drainage cleaning plant.
– I said that I don’t know, if I knew I would just tell it. The drainage cleaning plant has been grabbed since 1990 and that process is going on now too, and now there is nothing to grab any more since 2005.
– When did you meet with Albert Ghazaryan last?
– Is this testimony?
– No, it is just interesting.
– Being a mayor and a prosecutor we always met.
– When did you meet him last?
– I don’t remember.
– Mr. Darbinyan, during the elections Mr. Ghazaryan’s wife’s brother was your competitor, wasn’t he?
– Yes his wife’s brother was, but he was against that.
– At that time, when there were gunshots, conflicts, didn’t A. Ghazaryan interfere?
– There hasn’t been any conflict, he was against that too; he didn’t want his wife’s brother to run and compete with me. He even wasn’t in Armenia during the elections (a. Ghazaryan), he was in vacation.
– Why didn’t Mr. Ghazaryan want his wife’s brother run?
– He told me (A. Ghazaryan) that “he knew his wife’s brother would not be able to be success in the competition and that his supporters had disorientated him, that he had tried to correct that but couldn’t”.
– As you often met with Mr. Ghazaryan due to your office, could you tell us about him?
– He was a normal, very intelligent and clever person.
– Did he have enemies?
– I can’t say, but he had such character that hardly could have enemies. He was very balanced and modest when speaking to people. Being a prosecutor he always was modest.
– Did he make contact with people often?
– No, he was a little passive in that matter and didn’t have relations with everyone.