GeoPromining urges journalists to abandon 'primitive' practice of seeking political context when covering foreign investors' activities
GeoProMining, a diversified international group of mining companies, developing the Sotk gold deposit in Armenian province of Gegharkunik, has urged today local mass media to abandon what it called the 'primitive' practice of seeking a political context when covering the activities of foreign investors in Armenia.
The move comes after some Armenian electronic mass media outlets placed a story titled “Russians treat workers at Sotk gold mine as slaves. Employees sound alarm.”
'The heartbreaking story about 'slaves' working for Russian exploiters became an occasion for an obviously puff piece story aimed against GeoPromining Gold company, otherwise how can one explain why journalists ignore elementary principles of journalism that require double-checking of facts and an alternative point of view," GeoProMining press service said in a statement.
'GeoProMining officially declares that the facts stated in the story are not only untrue, but are also a pure provocation on the part of those who grossly violated the rules of labor discipline and safety,' the company said.
It said one of the 'characters' of the story, Karo Melkonyan, who accuses Russians of treating local workers as 'slaves', was caught July 5 this year red-handed by security officers of the deposit when trying to steal gold-bearing ore. Security officers asked him to show what he had in his pockets. Instead Melkonyan said he wanted to go to the toilet to get rid of evidence, however, the security officers reacted according to the instructions and prevented it.
The whole process was filmed on video cameras, the company filed an application with the police and provided law enforcement agencies with all the relevant materials. Karo Mikaelyan asked the company to let him resign instead of being sacked.
Another 'character' of the story , Andranik Margaryan, came to work drunk, got on a bus and went to the quarry. Security officers noted his inadequate physical condition and decided to dismiss him for gross violation of labor discipline. However, the employee asked to be dismissed at his own request.
GeoProMining was founded in 2001. In Armenia it owns two assets – the Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Combine and GPMGold, which develops the Sotk gold mine and runs the Ararat gold recovery factory.