Azernews.Az

The situation with corruption in Armenia is worsening, Transparency International`s representative has said.
"Corruption indicators in Armenia, in recent years, have remained the same as before, at best, and, in all sincerity, have even worsened," Amalia Kostanian, the head of TI`s office in the country, was quoted by local media as saying at a function on Thursday entitled, "Corruption and Abuse of Power."
According to TI`s research, Armenia ranked 99th among 180 countries on the level of corruption in 2007.
Kostanian emphasized that the South Caucasus republic has been considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world during the past six years. She said prosecution for petty graft is widespread, while no one in authority appears to be addressing the problem of large-scale corrupt practices.
"The Armenian Prosecutor General`s Office regularly posts information about registered corruption cases and citizens punished over this, but these persons never include a single high-ranking government official," Kostanian said.
Kostanian added that, although Armenian authorities have repeatedly pledged to crack down on corruption and the country has passed a host of relevant laws, these efforts have apparently not been enforced. "On the contrary, corruption is assuming a new, more complicated shape," she added.