In the result of large-scale investigative and other procedural actions conducted in Lori Regional Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee circumstances of abusing official authorities committed by the former mayor of Stepanavan were found. The criminal case on the case had been initiated in the RA Prosecutor General’s Office on the base of inconsistencies found in the result of inspections conducted by the RA Ministry of Administration and Infrastructure.

Pursuant to factual data obtained through investigation the former mayor of Stepanavan, holding the mentioned position from 2002, from 2004 until the end of his tenure – November, 2012 used his official position against the service interests ignoring the provisions envisaged by the Article 60 of the RA Land Code defining the list of lands not transferred to citizens and legal entities by the right of ownership, as well as a number of other normative legal acts.

The latter alienated lands of several surfaces and significance to citizens and legal entities, among them to charitable foundation founded with his participation, the LLC created by the mentioned foundation, his cousin, his friend’s son as well as the OJSC managed by a member of the Council of Elders of Stepanavan community thus causing significant damage to legal interests and rights of Stepanavan which negligently caused grave circumstances. The community was deprived of using the non-privatized lands for their intended purpose and the land of state significance was illegally formulated as a private property. As a result, the person, who had acquired the land, received a real opportunity to manage it freely.

In order to conceal the real nature of the lands located at the administrative area of Stepanavan formally acquired in the name of the above-mentioned charitable foundation, LLC, as well as his cousin in the result of the above-mentioned criminal committals, to conceal the criminal source of the ownership right to the lands, reaching prior agreement with the land owners at the moment, in 2014 and 2017 he transferred the mentioned lands to his sons by alienating. Based on it their property rights were registered at the RA Cadastre Committee and relevant certificates were given.

On the base of the obtained sufficient evidence charge was pressed against the former mayor of Stepanavan according to the Part 2 of the Article 308 and the Point 2 of the Part 2 of the Article 199 of RA Criminal Code. On November 1, 2021 detention was chosen as a pretrial measure against him.

 ased on the fact that the latter was hiding from investigation, on November 2, 2021 a decision was made to declare search against him.  On December 5, 2021 he was found by the employees of General Department of Criminal Police of the RA Police and was taken to penitentiary.

Preliminary investigation is ongoing.

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