President takes part in opening of new Special Investigation Service building

President Serzh Sargsyan today attended the opening of a new building allotted to the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Armenia (SIS). Prior to moving to the building located on the capital’s 13a Vagharsh Vagharshyan Street, the service operated at the building of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office on a separate floor with limited working space. The president toured the newly-opened building, familiarized with its working conditions, talked to the staff of the Special Investigation Service about the need to perform their tasks and functions to the utmost extent in these new and favorable conditions and wished the service success in its further activity.

Noting that since its establishment the Special Investigation Service has been a crucial part of our country’s law-enforcement system, the Armenian President expressed satisfaction with the fact that in a short period of time it has managed to gain prestige equivalent to its mission. “We have no alternative. We have chosen a difficult, but the only path of ensuring efficient public administration and harmonious state-society development. At the same time, however, this path has fundamental rules we are obliged to abide by. First of all, our daily steps should constantly send a message that the rights of each citizen of the Republic of Armenia, be it a high-ranking official or job-seeker, are not only equally and fully protected, but also they are both equally and fully responsible before the law. We will be very happy and relaxed only when we see that as a result of this road we have embarked on our society comes to believe that everybody is equally responsible before the law regardless of their position. We strive to reach this destination, and I think that each of you perfectly understands the role he plays in this complex but honorary process,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

Addressing the staff of the Special Investigation Service, the president underscored that the researches of written annual activity reports prescribed by law and the public and transparent policy carried by the service bear testimony to its consistent progress and development. “Maybe there are few such institutions I have spoken well of but I am doing this honestly. This is obviously demonstrated in recording positive performance indicators, promoting vigorous anti-corruption activities, showing initiative in legislation amendment processes, as well as in issues related to your everyday activities.

Your role in the fight against torture is of special significance. In spite of the positive results achieved in preventing this absolutely unacceptable phenomenon, the task of your specialized body is to keep on adequately responding to such cases and ensuring a fair and effective investigation,” noted the Armenian President.

By RA Government Decree N1414-N of October 19, 2013 and N1055-N of October 2, 2014, the Senior Special Investigating Officer of the SIS General Crimes Department Ashot Ohanyan was allocated an apartment in Yerevan for performing his official duties diligently and demonstrating high-performance and discipline. The Armenian President congratulated the employer having many children on receiving encouragement and wished him success.

On behalf of the whole service staff and on his own behalf, SIS Head Vahram Shahinyan thanked the Armenian President for his attention and consistent support in the success of the service, ensuring legal and social protection of employees and improving working conditions, assuring that such attitude and appreciation will give a new stimulus to investigating officers to perform their functions much more diligently and selflessly for the benefit of law and order and promotion of a culture of lawfulness and in the interests of our people and state.