Ashotyan, former Brusov rector detained

PanARMENIAN.Net - A decision has been made to detain seven individuals as part of a criminal case involving alleged abuse of official authority and money laundering related to property valued at nearly 200 million drams, the Investigative Committee reported.

According to local outlet 1lurer.am, the individuals are Armen Ashotyan, Gagik Khachatryan, Artyom Khachatryan, Vigen Sargsyan, former rector of Brusov State University Gayane Gasparyan, and vice rector Artur Avagyan.

The Investigative Committee stated that evidence was obtained indicating that during the period from 2009 to 2016, A.A., who served as Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science, allegedly acted out of personal and group interests to ensure that G.K., who served as chairman of the State Revenue Committee and later as finance minister, and his son A.K. could acquire non-transferable state property under favorable conditions and without obstacles.

According to the statement, acting as part of a group together with V.S., chairman of the governing board of the Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences, rector G.G., vice rector A.A., A.K., G.K., and an associate identified as H.T., the official allegedly used his position against the interests of the service.

Investigators claim that, through an alleged corruption scheme, a 451.1-square-meter property and the land considered an inseparable part of it, located at 59 Pushkin Street, building 38/1, in Yerevan’s Kentron district and valued at 208.9 million drams, were removed from Armenia’s state property fund and transferred for non-educational purposes into the ownership sphere of a high-ranking official and a person associated with him.

The Investigative Committee said these actions deprived the university, in gross violation of legal requirements, of the opportunity to manage and use property allocated to it for educational purposes.

According to investigators, A.K. and G.K., in coordination with their associate H.T., later attempted to conceal the property’s true ownership and obscure its alleged criminal origin.

“Afterward, in accordance with a prior agreement with their associate H.T., A.K. and G.K., while concealing the true ownership of the 451.1-square-meter property located at 59 Pushkin Street, building 38/1, and seeking to hide and distort its alleged criminal origin, first presented H.T. as the purchaser. Subsequently, with the expectation of appearing as bona fide buyers, they purchased the property from him for 75 million drams and registered it in A.K.’s name,” the statement says.

Criminal prosecution has been initiated against the seven individuals under relevant articles of Armenia’s Criminal Code for abuse of official authority, aiding such abuse, money laundering on an especially large scale committed by a group, and aiding those offenses.

Decisions have also been issued to detain the accused persons who remain at liberty and bring them before the court.