DALLAKIAN FINDS DRAFT LAW AMBIGUOUS
Support A1+!Today the National Assembly was considering the draft law on “Special Investigative Services (SIS).” The law empowers the procuracy to exert additional levers and “to restrain disobedient officials.”
The newly-formed body will scrutinize the activities of the legislative, executive and judicial bodies, state figures and election processes, i.e., the body will investigate the crimes of our top-level officials. The most striking is that the Prosecutor’s Office is to supervise the SIS functions.
“I have got the impression that the body is set up to please Aghvan Hovsepian,” NA deputy Victor Dallakian told A1+.
A competitive commission has been set up alongside with the investigative body. The commission is comprised of five members, three legal scholars and two employees of Investigative Services.
The commission members are designated by the Special Investigative Services which means the SIS is free in its choice. “The law is imperfect and ambiguous,” Dallakian says.
He suggests the commission should be appointed either by the Government or by the Civil Services.
I cannot see any connection between the head of the SIS and the Competitive Commission.
Under Article 9 the SIS head is designated by the President on the General Prosecutor’s nomination.
“Why should the Prosecutor General nominate a SIS head? I think the SIS head should be nominated by the Prime Minister. Do they want to do a favour to Hovsepian?” Dallakian said.
The SIS is an independent body while its head is nominated by the General Prosecutor. The latter supervises the body’s work. The law lacks the mechanism of checks and balances,” Victor Dallakian states.
Under Article 23 the Certification Commission is comprised of five members appointed by the SIS head. According to Mr Dallakian the commission should be appointed either by the Civil Services or by the Prime Minister.
