In the result of investigatory and procedural actions of great volume conducted together with the officers of General Department of fight against organized Crime of the RA Police within preliminary investigation of the criminal case investigated in the Department of Investigation of General and Election-Related Crimes of General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee actual data were obtained on abuse of official power committed by Norayr Panosyan who was holding the position of the Head of Legality Control Inspectorate of Staff of the RA Ministry of Justice in the period of Hrayr Tovmasyan's tenure as a Minister of Justice, as well as other officials of the RA Ministry of Justice and Yerevan City Hall.

Through preliminary investigation it was found and grounded that Norayr Panosyan, holding the position of the Head of Legality Control Inspectorate of Staff of the RA Ministry of Justice from 2011 to 2014 and having organizational, managerial and supervising authorities, together with a number of unidentified officials of the same ministry and Yerevan City Hall, out of mercenary motives, as well as personal and group interests, using his official position against the service interests, by oral instructions and threats to hinder professional activity as well as to dismiss from work the notaries carrying out their activity at the area of 162, house 14, Baghramyan 1, as well as indirectly informing the notary carrying out his activity at the area of 55, house 43, Bagratunyats Street about their involvement in privatization of the area, in 2012 – 2013 deprived them from opportunity to register their right as notaries formerly appointed and having passed qualification exam envisaged by the Point 3 of the Article 91 of RA Law «On Notary» towards the mentioned areas which were the property of Yerevan by RA Government's decision N 604-Ն of May 29, 2009 with a view to acquire the real estate themselves. As a result, significant damage was caused to the state, Yerevan community, as well as the rights and legal interests of the mentioned notaries causing grave consequences by negligence.

Particularly, Norayr Panosyan, as a person supervising the legality of the mentioned notaries' activity, through notaries' oral and written applications being informed about the intention of registering the right to free use of the property of the area of their activity as notaries formerly appointed and having passed qualification exam envisaged by the Point 3 of the Article 91 of RA Law «On Notary», being well aware that it was possible to get guaranteed high incomes by lease of the mentioned areas, instead of assisting to register the right to free use of the property of the activity areas of notaries, with criminal agreement reached with a number of other officials of the RA Ministry of Justice and Yerevan City Hall, out of mercenary motives, as well as personal and group interests, abusing official position, by oral instructions and threats to hinder professional activity as well as to dismiss from work the notaries carrying out their activity at the area of 162, house 14, Baghramyan 1, as well as indirectly informing the notary carrying out his activity at the area of 55, house 43, Bagratunyats Street about their involvement in privatization of the area in 2012 – 2013 deprived them from the opportunity to register their right as notaries formerly appointed and having passed qualification exam envisaged by the Point 3 of the Article 91 of RA Law «On Notary» towards the mentioned areas and to carry out free activity at the mentioned areas repaired and occupied by them for years and involving citizens interrelated to him and other officials of the RA Ministry of Justice, actually organized and in the result of auctions announced by Yerevan City Hall, giving false assessment reports by employees and directors of “Land and Property Operations” CJSC and supporting to abuse their authorities acquired the above mentioned real estate in one case in the result of assessing them lower than market value and in the other case at an incomparably lower value – the area at 162, house 14, Baghramyan 1 worth 63.400.000 AMD on 22.08.2013 was acquired for 47.520.000 AMD and on 20.01.2014 – the area at 55, house 43, Bagratunyats Street worth 33.550.000 was acquired for 3.800.000 AMD which later were given on lease to the notaries at an incomparably higher value on the base of the lease agreements signed in the name of the same citizens.

In the result of the mentioned criminal actions significant damage was inflicted to the state, Yerevan community as well as the rights and legal interests of the above mentioned notaries which negligently caused grave consequences. The real estate which belonged to Yerevan community was sold at a price lower by 45.630.000 AMD, as a result the community was deprived of getting income in the same amount and the notaries, who had the right to carry out free activity at the areas occupied by them, sustained damage in particularly large amount – about 127.000.000 AMD.

On the base of the obtained evidence the former Head of Legality Control Inspectorate of Staff of the RA Ministry of Justice Norayr Panosyan was arrested on suspicion of committing a crime envisaged by the Part 2 of the Article 308 of RA Criminal Code and a decision was made to involve him as a defendant according to the mentioned article of RA Criminal Code.

The employee of “Land and Property Operations” CJSC Tigran Ter-Harutyunov, who had carried out the assessment of the public area at 43, Bagratunyats Street of Shengavit community, was also arrested on suspicion of committing acts envisaged by the Part 2 of the Article 38-308 and the Part 1 of the Article 325 of RA Criminal Code.

Preliminary investigation is ongoing. Necessary investigatory and procedural actions are conducted to find out all circumstances significant for the criminal case, to find those involved and to bring them to liability.

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