Social network users critically respond to fight against corruption in Armenia

Users of Armenian social networks criticized the proposals of officials suspected of corruption to make multimillion-dollar gifts to the state. Users also considered the Nikol Pashinyan's rhetoric as campaign populism.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 28, Nikol Pashinyan announced the replenishment of the Armenian budget with oligarchs' money. In particular, he has announced that Alexander Sargsyan, a brother of Serzh Sergsyan, expressed his willingness to return to the budget 30 million US dollars. Armen Avetisyan, the former head of the Armenian Customs Service, intends to transfer his "Golden Palace" Hotel in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor to the state as a gift. Lieutenant General Manvel Grigoryan decided to give the state objects of real estate worth 5 billion drams.

Some Facebook users criticized the statements about the return of those funds and property to the country's budget, as well as the statements voiced by Nikol Pashinyan himself.

"The stolen property is not presented, it is confiscated," Grisha Shamiryan believes.

Arman Melikyan notes it is an interesting approach when "embezzlers 'make presents' to the state from their stolen property."

"Thus, they give a legitimate bribe in order to ensure that the law will bypass them," Armen Bagmanyan wrote on Facebook.