Preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding on swindling in particularly large amount committed by founders and director of the LLC supported by the former Minister of Culture, Director of “Secondary Musical School after P. Chaykovski” SNCO is ongoing in the Division of Investigation of Grave Crimes of Yerevan Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee.

As it was already informed, through investigation data were obtained on the allegation that under the false pretext of using the land with a surface of 300s/m separated from the land located at 36 Yeznik Koghbatsi, Yerevan for educational purposes, only after 4 days the LLC had been founded, the director of the LLC submitted an investment program to Yerevan mayor proposing to give it to the company to build a multifunctional complex “Book’s world”. Instead the company committed itself to also implement works to improve school conditions besides the construction of the mentioned complex. The former Minister of Culture H.P., who had been addressed the investment program to receive a conclusion, being informed about the real intention to build a multifunctional building on the land but not to use it for educational purpose, did not object to the submitted investment program. The program was also approved by the Director of “Secondary Musical School after P. Chaykovski” SNCO who is the brother of the company’s director.

On December 13, 2012 relevant agreements were signed between the former Minister of Culture and the company in which fulfilling the obligation to build the multifunctional complex “Book’s world” worth 800 million AMD from the obligations defined by the Government decision was not willfully involved. In this way the former Minister of Culture, removing the obstacles, gave an opportunity to the company to register its right to ownership to the real estate composed of the land with a surface of 0.03 ha separated from the land located at 36 Koghbatsi, Yerevan, boiler house with a surface of 35.3 s/m and an arbitrary construction with an undetermined status with a surface of 16.8s/m without fulfillment of the mentioned obligation.

Then the former Minister of Culture submitted two drafts to the Government offering to make a change in the decision already available. That is; to carry out capital repairs of the school building being informed that it is carried out through the program All-Armenian Fund “Armenia”. The other change offered to provide the mentioned musical school with musical instruments instead of repairing the sports hall and other areas of the school.

As a result, it was recorded that the company had fulfilled the obligations to build a boiler house and provide the musical school with musical instruments as defined by the Government’s decision and under these conditions the land with a surface of 300.0s/m separated from the land located at 36 Koghbatsi, Yerevan and the area of the boiler house with a surface of 35.3s/m were swindled by fraud causing the state pecuniary damage in particularly large amount - 165.770.000 million AMD.

After swindling the mentioned real estate 17-storey building was built at the mentioned address.

On the base of the initiated criminal prosecutions, sufficient evidence obtained through investigation charge was pressed against two founders of the company according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 255 of RA Criminal Code and against the Director of “Secondary Musical School after P. Chaykovski” SNCO according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-255 of RA Criminal Code.

A decision was made to initiate a public criminal proceeding against the former Minister of Culture H.P according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-255 of RA Criminal Code. The latter is under prosecution, detention was chosen as a pretrial measure against her.

Decisions were made to initiate a public criminal prosecution against the director as well as the shareholder of the company according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 255 of RA Criminal Code. Necessary measures are taken to find out their location.

During preliminary investigation a decision was made to impose a ban on the land with a surface of 0.03ha registered at the mentioned address with an ownership right in the name of the company and the building on it – 17 storey building the legality of which was confirmed by the decision of the RA Anti-Corruption Court.

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