Armenia parliament asked to approve “$14 million bribe” probe of lawmakerDecember 3, 2018 - 11:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s Prosecutor General, Artur Davtyan, has asked the National Assembly to lift the immunity of lawmaker Aram Harutyunyan and allow an investigation into whether he took $14 million in bribes. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, back in 2008 Harutyunyan who served as the country’s Minister of Nature Protection, demanded and received $14 million in bribes from a person identified as S. H. to provide licenses for the study and exploitation of 10 mines of non-ferrous metals in the provinces of Syunik, Gegharkunik, Lori and Kotayk. The Prosecutor’s Office added that S. H. withdrew $6 million from the bank and transferred the money to Harutyunyan through a mediator between January and November 2008, while the remaining $8 million were transmitted by bank transfer. The document adds that Harutyunyan then opened bank accounts in the names of other persons in another country to legalize illegally acquired property (money laundering), committing grave crimes under Armenia’s Criminal Code. At the same time, it has been revealed that Harutyunyan now owns several private houses, a 7-storey building near the Republic Square, a restaurant, a public building worth AMD 427 million (more than $878,000) in Yerevan, as well as a dozen agricultural land plots in Kotayk province. He had been declared more than $ 1.5 million. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |