On April 21 “Pakagits” daily reported that its two previous issues did not
reach the readers. As the newspaper writes, on April 19 the editorial office
started receiving phone calls that the “Haymamul” newspaper stalls did not have
the fresh “Pakagits” issue. It turned out later than the print run was bought
out from the stalls. The reason, in the opinion of “Pakagits”, was the article
published in the issue, “Andranik Maragarian’s Corruption Risks”. The piece
was dealing with the business, allegedly owned by the RA Prime Minister and
his family, and was accompanied by photographs. “Pakagits” believes that the
action of print run purchase was implemented by people, close to the government
and the Prime Minister. As YPC was told by the Chief Editor of “Pakagits” Agapi
Haykazuni, this very article was repeatedly printed in the next newspaper issue,
of April 20. However, the print run “was stolen by unknown individuals from
the editorial car”, delivering the issues to the disseminating agencies. According
to the Chief Editor, this happened when the driver came into the editorial office
to leave 50 copies of the issue there.
The article above appeared again in “Pakagits” issue of April 21.
The news of “Pakagits” print run disappearance was published by “Azg” daily
on April 21. The next day, April 22, “Azg” published the response of the Department
of Information and Public Relations of the RA Prime Minister, titled “Much Ado
About Nothing”. The response of the Department noted in particular that over
the past few months “Pakagits” published a series of articles about the Prime
Minister “of humiliating and personally insulting quality”, and this is why
these stories “were never significant enough to receive the attention” of the
head of the government. In the opinion of the Department, the loss of the print
run is organized by “Pakagits” itself and is “nothing but a trick to raise the
interest to the newspaper at least a little”. “Until this newspaper ensures
due journalistic professionalism, it will be neglected: no response will follow
to any article about the Prime Minister”, the response of the Department of
Information and Public Relations of the RA Prime Minister said.
