Preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding initiated on alienation of more than two dozen real estate properties located in Gyumri community, committed by the former head of the mentioned community through official forgery, abuse of official authorities, was completed.  

Through factual data obtained within the comprehensive investigation conducted in Shirak Regional Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee it was grounded that V. Ghukasyan between November, 1999 and October, 2012 holding the position of the head of Gyumri community, between 2006 and 2011, with the help of a number of officials, through direct sale or auction alienated 24 state or community properties not subject to alienation, defined by the Article 60 of the RA Land Code, located at different addresses, among them urban park plots that are green zone (park) for general use with a total cadastral value of 35,690,403 AMD at that time.  

After the mentioned real estate properties had been alienated, references with false content were submitted to Shirak Regional Subdivision of the RA Real Estate Cadaster and based on them ownership right of several LLC-s and persons was registered to the mentioned real estate properties.

Besides, reaching prior agreement with a number of people, among them his brother and son, on creating the illusion of acquiring property legally by signing formal sales and gratuitous use contracts, making donations, in this way helping avoid the liability for the crime he had committed, in order to distort the source of the property acquired from Gyumri community in a criminal way, to conceal the affiliation, he legalized 4 of the properties acquired in the above-mentioned criminal way with a total cadastral value of 16.060.815 AMD.

Particularly, formal sales contracts on alienation of real estate property were signed between Vardan Ghuksyan’s close friends based on which their ownership right was registered to the properties. Then on the base of the contracts on handing the mentioned properties over to V. Ghukasyan for gratuitous use, state registration was made, and after it, pursuant to the signed donation contracts the properties were donated to V. Ghukasyan’s son or brother. On that basis, state registrations were made and certificates were issued.

On the base of the obtained sufficient facts charge was pressed against the former head of Gyumri community V. Ghukasyan for committing official forgery (24 counts), abusing official authorities (26 counts), legalizing the income received in a criminal way (money laundering) (4 counts). Charge was pressed against the latter’s brother, son and two close friends for legalizing the income received in a criminal way (money laundering).

Within the framework of the criminal proceeding criminal prosecutions against 5 former officials of the Municipality were terminated on statute of limitations, non-acquittal grounds.

Preliminary investigation was completed, the materials of the criminal proceeding, with the bill of indictment were sent to the prosecutor for approval and referral to court.

Bans were imposed to the properties alienated in an apparent criminal way.

Public criminal prosecution was initiated against one of the close friends of V. Ghukasyan according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 190 of RA Criminal Code, search was declared against him and based on it preliminary investigation was suspended.