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SOLOIST OF THEATRE OF OPERA AND BALLET DETAINED FOR CURRENCY SMUGGLING

OCTOBER 19. The soloist of the Spendaryan Theatre of Opera and Ballet Konstantin Simonyan tried to illegally remove a large sum in currency from Russia. According to "Interfax," when flying from Moscow to Yerevan, Simonyan was detained at the Sheremetyevo-1 airport. About $10,000 and 2,800 DM were found in his pocket after a personal inspection. All the sum was included in the customs declaration. A criminal proceeding was initiated in this connection. Simonyan's flight is delayed for uncertain period for time.

VANO SIRADEGHIAN ABROAD: MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR

OCTOBER 19. TThe Ministry of the Interior of Armenia has trustworthy information that the ex-minister of the ionterior, ex-chairman of the Armenian National Movement, Parliament member Vano Siradeghian is absconding abroad, First Deputy Minister of the Interior, Major-General Ararat Makhtessian told a press conference. He did not specify in what particular country is Vano Siradeghian, who is charged with a number of serious crimes. He pointed out that Armenia's law-enforcement agencies are cooperating with the relevant structures to find the ex-minister's whereabouts. It is to be noted that a number of Armenian mass media recently spread the information that the residents of the village of Voskepar in the Tavush region saw Vano Siradeghian in a blue UAZ car. It was not the first case that the ex-minister was "seen" in the country's different places. At its last three-day session the Parliament did not deprive Vano Siradeghian of his deputy mandate.

AN ENVELOPE WITH UNKNOWN POWDER CAME IN MINISTRY OF CULTURE

OCTOBER 19. An envelope with unknown powder came in the Ministry of culture of Armenia. It is not known yet for whom it was intended. The addresses on the envelope were made by hieroglyphs. The press office of Armenia's Ministry of internal affairs confirmed to an ARMINFO correspondent the fact of getting a suspicious letter, the envelope of which has been sent for expertise. In its turn, the "Armpost" informed that they have not such an information, adding that not the whole correspondence, coming into the republic passes through the "Armpost". As the head of the department on public relations and press Astghik Martirosyan informed, connected with the last events in the world, when after getting letters the addressees fell ill with anthrax, the Armpost has taken additional measures. In particular, the packers of correspondence will hence work with special gloves. A special attention will be drawn to correspondences from the countries of the Near East.

BOLISHMENT OF SECTION 907 OF CONGRESS' FREEDOM SUPPORTING ACT TO HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

OCTOBER 19. Full abolishment of Section 907 of the US Congress' Freedom Supporting Act will have a negative impact on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia's foreign minister Vartan Osknanyan told ARMINFO today. He said the section prohibiting the UNited States to provide Azerbaijan with direct assistance until it lifts the blockade of Armenia, is an important element of the Karabakh conflict settlement. "A well-balanced package of the Karabakh conflict settlement has been developed over the last years and removal of any element from this package will break the balance," Oskanyan said. At the same time, he said the abolishment of the section is the internal affair of the United States. Yerevan on its part can only express its opinion on the issue. Oskanyan said the abolishment of the section should not be directly liked with Armenia's foreign policy. However, the abolishment will negative affect also regional issues, he concluded.

NO CONDITIONS FOR ABOLITION OF AMENDMENT 907 EXIST: OLEG YESAYAN

OCTOBER 19. There are no corresponding conditions for the abolition of amendment 907, which forbids the USA to render assistance to Azerbaijan, Speaker of the NKR National Assembly Oleg Yesayan told a press conference on the results of his recent visit to Canada. Yesayan informed the journalists of his meetings with representatives of Armenian parties, public organizations and clergy in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, as well as of his visits to educational establishments of the Diaspora. According to him, Canadian Armenians showed great interest in the Karabakh settlement process in the light of the latest developments in the world, as well as in the prospects of the NKR's socio-economic development. Yesayan said that a special subject of discussions was the problem of investing capital in the NKR's economy. The meetings participants pointed out that a favorable legislation was adopted in the NKR for the development of investment process.

RESULTS OF CRIMINAL CASE CONCERNING EMBEZZLEMENTS IN ENERGY SECTOR IN 1992-1999 PROMULGATED

OCTOBER 19. The results of the criminal case concerning embezzlements in the energy sector were promulgated during a sitting of the board of the prosecutor general's office today. The case was initiated on the basis of a report by a special parliamentary commission saying some $250 mln was embezzled in the energy sector during the above period. Investigator Gektor Sardaryan, who heads the group inquiring into the case, said 19 actions have been brought against 53 people since June 2000. 19 have been amnestied, 2 released because of a change of circumstances and 5 are wanted. The damage caused to the state as a consequences of the activities of these people is estimated at $5 mln. $2.4 mln gas been restored. The case consists of 218 volumes. 3,000 witnesses have been interrogated, including former prime miniser Hrant Bagratyan and the whole staff of his government. The board of the prosecutor general's office commissioned deputy prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepyan to control the further course of the investigation. The results of the case will soon be submitted to the parliament.

469,000 TONS OF MAZUT INTENDED FOR ARMENIA IN 1993 NOT FOUND YET

OCTOBER 19. What happened to the 469,000 tons of mazut intended for Armenia in 1993 still remains unknown. This statement was made at yesterday's meeting of the Board of the Prosecutor General's Office, which discussed the results of the investigation of the case based on the report of the Parliamentary Interim Commission that examined the abuse in the energy sphere committed in 1992-94. According to Investigator of Special Cases Hector Sardarian, who is head of the investigatory group, the group had information at its disposal that part of the Russian mazut intended for Armenia disappeared in Azerbaijan and Georgia. Sardarian said that there is no information on the plunder of mazut in Armenia. Besides, the groups work was complicated by the lack of customs and statistical data. The investigator pointed out that in 1992-94 the data on imported energy resources were not registered either by the Customs Department or by the Statistical Service. Prosecutor General Aram Tamazian instructed the investigator to find out in which of the neighboring republics the mazut disappeared.