On November 1, 2023 the prosecutor initiated a public criminal prosecution against K.V., citizen of the Republic of Armenia and Swiss Confederation for legalizing property received through crime (money laundering).

 It was found out by the criminal proceedings that K.V. being the real beneficiary of RA nonresident organization registered in the Republic of Cyrus, on July 23, 2018, obtained and managed 12.5% shares of “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC via the mentioned company.

 The mentioned 12.5% shares received through crime actually belonged to M.M., holding the position of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See from 2013 until 2018 and was registered under the name of “Zangezur Mining”LLC.

 K.V. obtained the shares for the purpose of hiding their criminal origin and their true nature.

Particularly, by the application of previously drafted criminal scheme, a contract was concluded between “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC and the company actually belonging to M.M. with the terms evidently unprofitable for “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC. As a result “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC paid particularly large amount of interest to the company actually belonging to M.M.

Afterwards, 12.5% shares of “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC were obtained due to the abovementioned financial means having criminal origin, by the company actually belonging to M.M..

For the purpose of hiding the criminal origin of 12.5% shares of “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC registered under the name of “Zangezur Mining” LLC, method of its management and affiliation, M.M and K.V. reached an agreement on the transfer of the mentioned property under evidently favorable conditions for K.V..

As a result, K.V. being informed that 12.5% shares of “Zangezur Cooper-Molybdenium Combine” CJSC were transferred to the company actually belonging to M.M. through crime, intending to become the actual owner of those shares with evidently favorable conditions for him and at the same time to hide and  distort the criminal origin of that property, its affiliation and management method, presented it as a property obtained as a result of lawful civil and legal transaction.

 Through an offshore company K.V. obtained (with AMD 1 billion and USD 13 million) and managed a property with a value of at least AMD 14 billion 526 million 300 thousand having a criminal origin.

It was not possible to find K.V.’s place of location during the preliminary examination.

A motion was submitted to the Anti-corruption court for applying detention as a measure of restraint against K.V.  

Notice:  A person charged with any crime shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code—by the judgment came into legal force.