VIDEO: Felix Tsolakyan on Hiring Friends

Felix Tsolakyan addressed allegations regarding hiring relatives and friends during a press conference. He acknowledged complaints related to misconduct in hiring processes, as voiced by the dismissed head of the Emergency Services, but Tsolakyan himself rejected these accusations.

“There have been complaints that there are various violations within the ministry. We are talking about 9 employees who were dismissed and have signed a protest. In a collective of 6,500, only 9 have signed claiming violations. It's instinctively defensive; they knew structural changes were coming, and it was necessary for them to leave because they had not been effective, while the head of the service has faltered in his duties. There were several reasons for this. During serious summer fires, he was indifferent, and that is one of the main reasons. He was not on-site and was not in Armenia. There have been other issues, but I cannot share the details,” said Felix Tsolakyan.

In response to comments regarding the minister placing ‘his own’ friends in positions, Tsolakyan stated that he does not understand what many mean by ‘his own.’ He admitted to hiring acquaintances, but not relatives. “I have said that I do not have relatives or close ones in that structure. People have applied, like cousins and uncles, but I have not accepted them. I have accepted acquaintances whom I know, and after their arrival, significant changes have occurred in the system, and I still highly value their work,” the minister emphasized.

When asked if he aspires to the position of head of the National Security Service, Tsolakyan responded negatively. “Good question. I do not know who is sitting there, looking at their finger, making such statements. That is not me.”

For more details, watch the video on Shantnews.am.