Anti-Corruption National Initiative
ANTI-CORRUPTIONNATIONALINITIATIVE

Papoyan Appoints Pashinyan’s Former Assistant as Manager of Araratcement; Corruption Prevention Commission Finds No Conflict of Interest

The appointment of Davit Gevorgyan as manager of the state-owned Araratcement is another reason to question the transparency of Nikol Pashinyan’s team’s personnel policy, particularly when it comes to the management of state assets. Before that, Gevorgyan held the position of assistant to the Prime Minister, and subsequently, by decision of Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, he received the position of manager of an enterprise that had come under state management. The decision to transfer the company’s shares to state management had been made within the framework of civil proceedings for the confiscation of property.

The speed of the personnel decision is noteworthy: on July 30, 2026, Gevorgyan was dismissed from the position of assistant to the Prime Minister, and on the same day, Papoyan appointed him manager of Araratcement. A short time later, the company’s Board of Directors appointed him acting Chief Executive Officer. Meanwhile, Gevorgyan’s publicly available biographical information does not indicate any experience managing a major industrial enterprise or working in the cement production sector.

Citizen Semyon Babayan appealed to the Corruption Prevention Commission, seeing possible signs of a conflict of interest in the appointment. However, in its decision of October 12, the Commission refused to initiate proceedings. According to a publication by Iravaban.net, the Commission found insufficient grounds for initiating such proceedings, arguing, among other things, that there is no legally established procedure for selecting a manager for an enterprise of this kind.

The issue of the government’s political responsibility lies precisely here. The absence of a mandatory competition does not yet mean that the appointment was transparent, justified, or in the public interest. The government, which constantly makes declarations about fighting corruption and renewing the system, is obliged to explain why it entrusted the management of an industrial asset of strategic importance to a person from the Prime Minister’s close administrative circle. The Corruption Prevention Commission’s refusal to initiate proceedings does not relieve Papoyan of responsibility for this personnel decision, nor does it relieve the government of its obligation to make the appointment criteria public.

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“CivilNet.” The Volume of Gambling in Armenia Has Increased 53-Fold in 8 Years: The True Scale of Gambling Addiction Is Unknown

According to a study by CivilNet, the online gambling market in Armenia continues to expand rapidly. In 2017, the volume of internet betting was AMD 138.5 billion, while in 2025 it had already reached AMD 7.4 trillion. Over eight years, it increased by approximately 53 times. In the first eight months of 2026, the amount of betting reached AMD 5.4 trillion.

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“168.am.” How Cheap Russian Gas Is Sold to the Population in Armenia at a Price Nearly 2.2 Times Higher

Amid discussions surrounding a possible increase in the price of imported gas, 168.am has addressed Armenia’s gas tariff policy, presenting how Russian gas purchased at a preferential price at the border reaches the population at a price nearly twice as high, while substantially lower tariffs apply to certain sectors of the economy.

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Manicures at the State’s Expense: How Much Armenian Taxpayers Pay for the Everyday Comfort of Pashinyan’s Family

More than AMD 621 million is spent annually from the state budget on maintaining Armenia’s government residences. Calculated on a daily basis, this exceeds AMD 1.7 million. But this amount is not spent solely on the maintenance and security of the residences, utility payments, and upkeep of the surrounding areas. As Hraparak has found, through the “Government Residences Management” SNCO, the personal needs of the families of high-ranking officials are also covered, including the manicure and pedicure expenses of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife and daughters.

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Yerevan Municipality Appropriated “Multi Wellness” Property

According to a publication by Pastinfo, Yerevan Municipality has changed its official position regarding the property of the “Multi Wellness” sports and wellness center owned by Gagik Tsarukyan. While in July the municipality confirmed that the gym’s movable property had been entrusted to it for safekeeping and was not community property, it now claims that the gym belongs to the municipality.

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Arpine Hovhannisyan: Bank executives receive hundreds of millions of drams annually, but banks do not provide information on expenditures for protecting citizens’ financial funds

The remuneration of bank executives in Armenia can reach hundreds of millions of drams annually, while citizens have no information about how much financial institutions spend on protecting their money from fraudsters. This issue was raised by lawyer and former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Arpine Hovhannisyan, who presented the responses to her inquiries addressed to Armenia’s 18 banks.

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