In the result of investigative and procedural actions conducted within the criminal proceeding investigated in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee, as well as large-scale measures taken jointly with the employees of the RA National Security Service it was found out that Armen Ashotyan being the chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation of “Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi”, as well as the RA Minister of Education and Science, induced the Rector of the foundation Michael Narimanyan to abuse his official authorities. As a result, pecuniary damage in particularly large amount - 38.658.200 AMD was caused to “Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi” foundation.
 

Besides, A. Ashotyan organized the swindling of 185.606.000 AMD collected from the membership fees of “Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi” trade union and subject to be transferred to the union.
 

Particularly, by the RA President’s decree dated April 26, 2014 A. Ashotyan was reassigned in the position of the RA Minister of Education and Culture.
 

On April 17, 2015 he was selected for the position of the chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation of “Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi” (hereinafter referred to as Foundation).
 

On May 18 of the same year trade union “Heratsi” was founded by the employees of the Foundation and A. Ashotyan’s friend Marta Simonyan was elected to the post of its chairman.
 

On June 8, 2015, by the decision of the university's board of trustees, Michael Narimanyan was elected to the post of the Rector of the university. Pursuant to the sub-point 1 of the point 46 of the Charter of the Foundation confirmed by the RA Government’s above-mentioned decision the latter was authorized to manage the university's property, among them financial means and to conclude transactions on behalf of the university; contracts in the amount of up to 20,000,000 AMD or other foreign currency tantamount to it and the contracts exceeding this amount were to be confirmed by the board of trustees.
 

After being elected to the post of the chairman of the board of trustees of the university, A. Ashotyan, being the RA Minister of Education and Science, at the same time the chairman of the board of trustees of the Foundation as well, using his position and the authority derived from it, induced the Rector of the university Michael Narimanyan through direct sale, without purchase procedure and without confirmation of the board of trustees to buy the right to construction of two apartments from “Tsovasar” hotel complex owned by Ishkhan Saghatelyan’s family with whom he was in friendly relations. On behalf of the university he signed a memorandum of cooperation with the chairman of the same organization Marta Simonyan making the money in particularly large amount - 185.606.000 AMD, withheld in the social assistance fund groundlessly, the property of “Heratsi” trade union in order to acquire the right to construction of four apartments and one hall from “Tsovasar” hotel complex with this money later. In this way he organized the involvement of the mentioned money in legal circulation.
 

M. Narimanyan, taking advantage of A. Ashotyan’s patronage, realizing that in the result of the given assignment acquisition of property in particularly large amount would be carried out which was not arising from the needs of the foundation, as well as swindling of the mentioned money by squandering, on May 15, 2015 signed initial contracts with the director of “Tsovasar” hotel complex Vachik Saghatelyan on acquisition of the right from the same company to construct two apartments worth 19.796.000 and 17.198.000 AMD at two addresses on plot 5 of street 9 of Norashen community of Gegharkunik region. Based on them, on 11, 23 June and 23 September, 2015 36.994.000 AMD in total was transferred to “Navasar” LLC from the Foundation. Then, as a base of the mentioned transaction, through Karen Akopyan, a person authorized by him, in violation of the law, without observing the procedure established by the RA Law "On Purchases”, M. Narimanyan signed two main contracts on sales of the right to construction of the mentioned real estate with Vachik Saghatelyan - the director of “Tsovasar” hotel complex. This was in the case when the acquisition of the right to construct the mentioned apartments was not necessary for the needs of the Foundation. The latter was confirmed by the fact that they were not used later and the circumstance that on a contractual basis a commitment had been made by “Forest Park” LLC since 2013 to organize the rest of the teaching staff and students of the Foundation under special and privileged conditions.
 

Besides, in the result of the mentioned purchase, for the maintenance of those apartments in the following years, there was a need to allocate 53,000 AMD for each - 1.664.200 AMD in total. As a result, pecuniary damage in particularly large amount - 38.658.200 AMD was caused to “Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi”.
 

Then, organized by A. Ashotyan, M. Narimanyan reached an agreement with the chairman of “Heratsi” trade union on transferring the mentioned money to “Heratsi” trade union, with this money, by A. Ashotyan’s assignment, on acquisition of the right from Vachik Saghatelyan – the director of “Tsovasar” hotel complex in order to construct apartments at above market prices and assigned Larisa Parseghyan - the chief accountant of the Foundation to make these transfers.
 

With A. Ashotyan’s knowledge and permission, on September 1, 2015 M. Narimanyan, in violation of the requirements of the Charter of the university, without the confirmation of the board of trustees, on behalf of the university signed a memorandum on cooperation with M. Simonyan - the chairman of the same union pursuant to which the Medical University was committed to charge 0.5 percent of salaries of the member-employees of the union and transfer to the union.
 

Besides, the University was committed to transfer the amount collected in the employees’ social support fund at the moment of signing the memorandum without mentioning the amount of the money. On the base of the mentioned memorandum 185.606.000 AMD was transferred to “Heratsi” trade union from the university thus swindling money in particularly large amount with A. Ashotyan’s knowledge and M. Simonyan’s support.
 

In order to involve the money in particularly large amount, which had in a criminal way become the property of “Heratsi” trade union, in legal circulation, in this way concealing its criminal origin, “Heratsi” trade union, in the face of the chairman Marta Simonyan, on December 21, 2015 signed four formal contracts with Vachik Saghatelyan – the director of “Tsovasar” hotel complex on sales of the right to construction of real estate. Based on them the union acquired the rights to construction of 4 apartments with different surfaces at several addresses of plot 5 of street 9 of Norashen community of Gegharkunik region at 24.970.000 AMD, 18.895.000 AMD, 16.903.000 AMD, 25.424.000 AMD, 99.414.000 AMD. Then in 2016 through the contract signed with “Navasar” LLC, “Heratsi” trade union also acquired the basement sports hall worth 66.300.000 AMD as of the day of signing the contract, located at another address of the same plot. However, they were not used by “Heratsi” trade union or the Foundation in any way until 2018 and were actually in the property fund of the previous owner.
 

After legalizing the money procured in a criminal way organized by A. Ashotyan – on May 19, 2017, pursuant to the agreement reached between A. Ashotyan and V. Saghatelyan, in order to conceal the circumstance that A. Ashotyan was actually a shareholder, Aram Barseghyan A. Ashotyan’s driver, friend was registered as 50 percent shareholder of “Navasar” LLC. The latter formally signed a forged promissory note on making investment in the amount of 240.000.000 AMD with the director of “Nacasar” LLC which was not implemented in future.
 

The circumstance that A..Barseghyan was registered in the company as a shareholder on May 19, 2017 but on December 21, 2018, that is after the political revolution in the Republic, he canceled the registration, is remarkable.
 

On the base of the obtained facts on June 15, 2023 a decision was made to initiate a new criminal proceeding against Armen Ashotyan according to the Part 2 of the Article 38-308 of RA former Criminal Code (corresponds to the Points 2 and 5 of the Part 2 of the Article 46-441 of RA current Criminal Code), the Point 1 of the Part 3 of the Article 38-179 of RA Criminal Code (corresponds to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-256 of RA current Criminal Code) and the Points 1 and 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 38-190 of RA former Criminal Code (corresponds to the Points 2 and 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-296 of RA current Criminal Code).
 

During criminal proceeding absence ban had been used as a pretrial measure against A. Ashotyan. However, in the result of secret investigative actions conducted during further preliminary investigation it was found out that the defendant A. Ashotyan, in conditions of the pretrial measure used against him, did not carry out the duties envisaged by the RA Criminal Procedure Code and hindered the criminal proceeding illegally interfering the evidentiary process.
 

Particularly, A. Ashotyan personally or mediated, through his friends who were in reliable relations with witnesses and defendants within the proceeding, offered and tried to send advocates selected by him to interrogation with these persons so as he could get informed of the content of interrogations at the same time planning his and those persons’ further actions.
 

On 15 June, 2023 on the base of the Article 112 of RA Criminal Procedure Code (arrest of the defendant who has violated the conditions of the pretrial measure) A. Ashotyan was arrested. A motion on his detention was submitted to court.
 

Preliminary investigation is ongoing.
 

Note; Everyone charged with alleged crime offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.