Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN2447
2004-11-08 07:40:00
SECRET
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
KOCHARIAN SACKS INTEL SERVICE CHIEF
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T YEREVAN 002447
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN
E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 11/08/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV AM
SUBJECT: KOCHARIAN SACKS INTEL SERVICE CHIEF
Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
-------------------------
KOCHARIAN SACKS NSS CHIEF
-------------------------
S E C R E T YEREVAN 002447
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN
E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 11/08/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV AM
SUBJECT: KOCHARIAN SACKS INTEL SERVICE CHIEF
Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
--------------
KOCHARIAN SACKS NSS CHIEF
--------------
1. (C) President Robert Kocharian fired his Minister of the
National Security Service (NSS) Karlos Petrossian November 5.
Although there have been frequent rumors about Petrossian's
departure, the immediate cause for his fall from grace
appears to be the most recent report of Petrossian's
corruption that reached the President's desk.
--------------
TOO MANY COMPLAINTS TO IGNORE
--------------
2. (S) GOAM lawyer Vahe Yacoubian (a U.S. citizen) who said
he and the Minister of Justice David Harutunyan were with the
President when he made the call to fire Petrossian, told us
that "Karlos just went over the line once too often." The
most recent incident involved a high-end car stolen in Greece
that Interpol located in Yerevan, the police confiscated and
that then disappeared from police custody only to turn up in
a shipment of cars bound for Russia at the Georgian border.
According to Yacoubian, complaints about Petrossian's alleged
involvement reached President Kocharian separately from the
local Interpol office, the Greek insurance company that had
filed the initial reports, and Armenian Revolutionary Faction
(ARF) Dashnaks (part of the governing coalition) who had been
contacted by the car's owner in Greece. The complaint from
the Dashnaks was "the straw that broke the camel's back,"
according to Yacoubian: Kocharian simply could not afford to
let Petrossian continue to alienate the politically crucial
Dashnaks.
--------------
NO PRE-CHOSEN SUCCESSOR
--------------
3. (C) Because Petrossian's departure had not been scheduled,
no successor was immediately apparent. Press reports and
ministerial contacts speculate that NSS Deputy Minister
Feliks Tsolakyan, Presidential National Security Advisor
Garnik Isagulyan and former Kashatagh Marzpet Aleksan
Hakobyan are the leading candidates to replace Petrossian.
EVANS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN
E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 11/08/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV AM
SUBJECT: KOCHARIAN SACKS INTEL SERVICE CHIEF
Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
--------------
KOCHARIAN SACKS NSS CHIEF
--------------
1. (C) President Robert Kocharian fired his Minister of the
National Security Service (NSS) Karlos Petrossian November 5.
Although there have been frequent rumors about Petrossian's
departure, the immediate cause for his fall from grace
appears to be the most recent report of Petrossian's
corruption that reached the President's desk.
--------------
TOO MANY COMPLAINTS TO IGNORE
--------------
2. (S) GOAM lawyer Vahe Yacoubian (a U.S. citizen) who said
he and the Minister of Justice David Harutunyan were with the
President when he made the call to fire Petrossian, told us
that "Karlos just went over the line once too often." The
most recent incident involved a high-end car stolen in Greece
that Interpol located in Yerevan, the police confiscated and
that then disappeared from police custody only to turn up in
a shipment of cars bound for Russia at the Georgian border.
According to Yacoubian, complaints about Petrossian's alleged
involvement reached President Kocharian separately from the
local Interpol office, the Greek insurance company that had
filed the initial reports, and Armenian Revolutionary Faction
(ARF) Dashnaks (part of the governing coalition) who had been
contacted by the car's owner in Greece. The complaint from
the Dashnaks was "the straw that broke the camel's back,"
according to Yacoubian: Kocharian simply could not afford to
let Petrossian continue to alienate the politically crucial
Dashnaks.
--------------
NO PRE-CHOSEN SUCCESSOR
--------------
3. (C) Because Petrossian's departure had not been scheduled,
no successor was immediately apparent. Press reports and
ministerial contacts speculate that NSS Deputy Minister
Feliks Tsolakyan, Presidential National Security Advisor
Garnik Isagulyan and former Kashatagh Marzpet Aleksan
Hakobyan are the leading candidates to replace Petrossian.
EVANS