Preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated on apparent abuses committed within implementation of «North-South Road» program is ongoing in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee.

In the result of investigatory and other procedural actions of great volume conducted within preliminary investigation by the employees of the RA Investigative Committee cooperating with the RA Prosecutor General's Office data were obtained on conducting false entrepreneurial activity and evading from taxes in particularly large amount in the result of agreement reached by the representatives of Armenian branch of contractor «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC implementing construction work on Talin-Lanjik and Lanjik-Gyumri sections within the program «Reconstruction and Improvement of Road M1 from Talin to Gyumri» within implementation of «North-South Road» program and leaders of «Stones» LLC involved as subcontractor in the same work.

Particularly, it was found out that Director of «Multi Group Concern» Sedrak Arustamyan actually managing the activity of «Stones» LLC, from June 10 to August 8, 2016 being 100% shareholder of «Stones» LLC, together with Suren Avagyan and Gurgen Sargsyan who coordinated the work of the company with him, being induced by the representatives of Armenian branch of contractor «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC implementing construction work on Talin-Lanjik and Lanjik-Gyumri sections within the program «Reconstruction and Improvement of Road M1 from Talin to Gyumri» of «North-South Road» program reached agreement on withdrawing funds from the company through tax accounts without providing the Armenian branch of «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC with services and thus supporting the company to evade from taxes in particularly large amount. In order to realize this, on June 8, 2016 together with Suren Avagyan and Gurgen Sargsyan, who coordinated the work of the company with him, he organized signing of 2 contracts on providing consulting services between «Stones» LLC and «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC on the part of construction work in Talin-Lanjik and Lanjik-Gyumri sections.

Under the pretext of implementing a part of the duties envisaged by the mentioned contracts, pursuant to the agreement reached by Sedrak Arustamyan, Suren Avagyan and Gurgen Sargsyan, organized by Gurgen Sargsyan and chief accountant of the company, without intend to conduct entrepreneurial activity on October 10 and November 11, 2016 «M S Consulting» and «Gevorgyan Consulting» LLC-s were founded, accordingly and at the same period «Stones» LLC signed contracts on allegedly providing consulting services with them.

«M S Consulting» and «Gevorgyan Consulting» LLC-s, acting by the instruction of leaders of «Stones» LLC, not implementing work within the mentioned contracts but actually working in «Stones» LLC and implementing work as company’s employees, from December 20, 2017 to November 3, 2018 together with the chief accountant withdrew 44 false tax accounts of 177.000.000 AMD for services allegedly provided to «Stones» LLC. Receiving money based on them, by the instruction of the company’s leaders, they kept the money of taxes to be paid as well as 20 million AMD as a salary and transferred the rest of the money to Sedrak Arustamyan.

The above-mentioned tax accounts withdrawn by «M S Consulting» and «Gevorgyan Consulting» LLC-s to «Stones» LLC were a base to withdraw tax accounts on allegedly providing consulting services to Armenian branch of «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC by «Stones» LLC based on which company’s chief accountant, acting by the instruction of company’s leaders, from December 27, 2016 to July 18, 2018 made delivery-acceptance acts in the name of directors of «Stones» LLC as well as based on them, within the mentioned contracts made false tax accounts on allegedly provided services and submitted to «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC for confirmation which were accepted by the company’s director and accountant by the instruction of representatives of Armenian branch of «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC. Based on them 1.167.409.328,31 AMD was groundlessly transferred to “Stones” LLC from funds of «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC and in order to evade taxes they  involved those data in non-resident income tax report on company's activity of 2016-2017 and VAT calculations to be submitted to State Revenue Committee adjunct to RA Government, as prescribed by law. As a result, Armenian branch of «Sinohydro Corporation» LLC evaded from paying taxes in particularly large amount - 240.321.559 AMD causing the state damage in particularly large amount which makes 2.733.171.489 AMD, in total, together with penalties calculated for withdrawing false documents on providing services. 

On the base of sufficient evidence obtained during preliminary investigation charges were pressed against Sedrak Arustamyan who actually managed the activity of «Stones» LLC, Suren Avagyan, Gurgen Sargsyan, chief accountant of «Stones» LLC, directors of «M S Consulting» and «Gevorgyan Consulting» LLC-s according to the Part 3 of the Article 38-189 and the Part 2 of the Article 38-205 of RA Criminal Code.

Motions were submitted to court to use detention as a pretrial measure against Sedrak Arustamyan who actually managed the activity of «Stones» LLC, Suren Avagyan, Gurgen Sargsyan.

Preliminary investigation is ongoing. Investigatory and other procedural actions are conducted to find out all circumstances of abuses committed during implementation of the Program, to find the whole frame of those related to them and to give appropriate criminal-legal assessment.

As of today, there are 15 defendants within the criminal case.

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