Preliminary investigation of the part separated from the criminal proceeding initiated in April, 2016 according to the Point 2 of the Part 3 of the Article 182 of RA Criminal Code on extortion from RA citizen committed by the citizen of Georgia having the highest status of criminal hierarchy was completed in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee.

It was earlier informed that within the framework of the criminal proceeding the mentioned person was under international prosecution, was found in the Czech Republic and handed over to the RA competent bodies after which he was charged with committing extortion and was detained.

In the result of investigative and procedural actions it was found out and grounded that the latter, who was famous for the nickname “Vitya Tbilisski”, on March 26, 2016 at about 14:00, in one of the restaurants located on Komitas Avenue, with prior agreement with a group of people, introducing himself as a “thief in law”, called 43 year-old resident of Kotayk region and invited him to the restaurant to talk about the allegedly lost bet.

Pursuant to the agreement, the latter in his car drove to the mentioned restaurant where he met 7-8 persons, among them the above mentioned criminal authority V.A..

During the conversation V.A. unjustly accused the man of not paying the lost bet, 20.000 USD, threatened him and his family members demanding the amount. When the man told that he had not lost any bet and the demands were unjust, V.A. hit him for several times on different parts of his body at the same time going on demanding the mentioned amount.

Under the influence of the fear caused by the used violence and threats to his family members the man agreed to fulfill the demand.

Learning that the latter had arrived in the restaurant in the car of «Range Rover Sport» make, as a guarantee to give them the demanded money the keys of the car were taken from the man.

While considering again the detention used as a pretrial measure against him within the criminal proceeding V.A. declared in the court that he was a person having the highest status of criminal hierarchy, confirmed that he had received a status of the “thief in law” at the top of the criminal hierarchy, he was related to the criminal subculture and was maintaining the rules of conduct defined and recognized by a criminal subculture group.

Taking into account that speaking about the circumstance of being a "thief in law" at the top of the criminal hierarchy, he creates a real opportunity to be considered an authority according to the rules of conduct defined and recognized by his criminal subculture group and carry out actions arising from it within the framework of the goals pursued by the criminal subculture group, by the decision of the investigative body, the charge pressed formerly against V.A. was added and charge was pressed against him according to the Point 2 of the Part 3 of the Article 182 of RA Criminal Code in force at the moment of committing the crime (which corresponds to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 258 of RA current Criminal Code) and the Part 1 of the Article 322 of RA current Criminal Code.

Preliminary investigation on the latter’s part was completed and the materials of the proceeding with the motion to confirm the bill of indictment and refer to court, was sent to the prosecutor.

Preliminary investigation on those involved in extortion is ongoing.

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