Former Yerevan Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan Makes Statement

Former Yerevan Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan has made a statement on his Facebook page, saying, "After much contemplation, I decided to address the false, unfounded, and completely unrelated information circulated by certain media outlets regarding the Chinese buses acquired by the Yerevan Municipality back in 2021 by amateurish individuals who are violating the law and rights. In response, legal measures have been undertaken.

Nonetheless, I chose to present the work carried out by the Yerevan Municipality to my Yerevan residents, including my supporters, which is not visible to many. Of course, it is understandable that ahead of the city council elections, some amateurs are conducting their 'PR' by belittling the achievements of the Yerevan Municipality, but I am confident that the residents of Yerevan have the right to evaluate the work done, not only in the field of transport.

Returning to the main subject, I will try to clarify what I am being accused of by individuals who have not invested a single dram in creating or developing a constructive and efficient environment. I am being accused of canceling established tenders and purchasing the buses at an exorbitant price. My dear residents of Yerevan, in fact, no established tender related to the acquisition of buses has been canceled by me. No such process has occurred; the transactions regarding the buses were not only lawful but also unprecedentedly effective, mainly because all organized tenders included not only resellers but also the production companies themselves, one of which was recognized as the winner based on offering the minimum price (details can be found in the attached document: http://surl.li/gamaj), and most importantly, the transaction was carried out in Armenian drams. As of the date of the price transfer, the conversion was conducted according to the rate set by the Central Bank of Armenia.

As a result, 150 buses were acquired at the minimum price and are present in Yerevan, and the bilateral handover-acceptance act was signed on 13.03.23. The validity and legality of the facts mentioned in the accompanying document (evidences substantiating the facts are available at the Yerevan Municipality) can also be verified by law enforcement bodies."