The preliminary investigation in remote proceedings regarding the case of receiving a particularly large bribe of 14 million US dollars by the former Minister of Environment Aram Harutyunyan, a senior employee of the executive power of the RA, is over. The materials of the proceedings with the indictment were handed over to the supervising prosecutor on 23.06.2023 with a request to send it to the court. It should be noted that remote proceedings will provide an opportunity to conduct a full trial without the presence of the defendants.
In particular, the accused Aram Harutyunyan, his close associates Gagik Karapetyan and Suren Avagyan avoided the investigation, and there are the basis and conditions for conducting the proceedings in the absence of the accused (remote proceedings) as defined by article 476 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code, therefore, the investigator of the RA Anti-Corruption Committee made a decision to conduct remote proceedings against them.
Within the framework of remote proceedings, a public criminal prosecution was initiated against Aram Harutyunyan under point 2 of part 4 of article 311, point 1 of part 3 of article 190, and part 2 of article 308 of the former Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, for the commission of the crimes that he received a particularly large bribe of 14 million US dollars with the help of close persons, then legalized the particularly large amount of 5 million US dollars obtained through criminal means, as well as abused his official powers, which inadvertently caused serious consequences.
Arrest was selected as a measure of restriction against Aram Harutyunyan and the other two accused Suren Avagyan and Gagik Karapetyan, who assisted him. Arrest was imposed on more than 3 dozen properties and funds owned by them. In particular, the following properties actually owned by A. Harutyunyan, located in Yerevan were banned:
Building at 4 Tigran Mets,
House at 50/1 K.Ulnetsi,
Building at 10/1 Davit Anhaght Street,
Apartments and garage located on J. Byron and Gh. Parpets streets.
The funds in Aram Harutyunyan's bank accounts in the amount of 1 million 704 thousand US dollars, 11 thousand Euros and 350 million AMD were also frozen. It should be noted that the results of the remote trial will provide an opportunity to confiscate the above-mentioned funds and property in favor of the state in the case of a guilty verdict is issued, in the amount of the amount subject to confiscation.
As it was previously reported, the preliminary investigation carried out in the criminal proceedings investigated by the RA Anti-Corruption Committee revealed a criminal scheme of receiving a bribe of 14 million USD and laundering money by the former RA Minister of Environment Aram Harutyunyan, as well as other abuses of a corrupt nature, in which Suren Avagyan, the former deputy director of SNCO under the administration headed by A. Harutyunyan, Gagik Karapetyan, the former director of the Sevan psychiatric hospital, as well as other people close to Aram Harutyunyan, Araks Dilanyan, Viktor Martirosyan and Aleksan Petrosyan were also involved (link: https://anticorruption.am/hy/news/view/108)
By the way, the preliminary investigation with parts separated from the criminal proceedings regarding Araks Dilanyan, Viktor Martirosyan and Aleksan Petrosyan was over back in 2019, and the mentioned cases are now at the trial stage.
Notification. the person accused of a crime is considered innocent until his guilt is proven in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code by a verdict entered into legal force.
