On December 27, 2024, the prosecutor handed over to the Anti-Corruption Court the materials of the proceedings regarding the abuse of official powers and official forgery by the former head of Artashavan community of Aragatsotn Region (hereinafter referred to as the former Head of the Community).

On December 16, 2024, a public criminal prosecution against the former Head of the Community under Article 308, Part 2 (Abuse of official powers, which negligently caused grave consequences) (2 episodes) and Article 314, Part 1 (Official forgery) (2 episodes) of the Criminal Code adopted on 18.04.2003.

The criminal proceedings investigated in the Investigative Committee revealed that

• Gh. K, occupying the position of the Head of the Community during 1999-2021, created conditions for the purchase of plots of land by D. I. at a price much lower than the market value with the help of the members of the auction committee. The former Head of the community approved a false report on the auction drawn up on March 24, 2017 “On the basis of an auction carried out in a number of violations of the Law on Public Bidding and the Land Code. According to the protocol: The auction was considered completed, D.I. was recognized as the winner of the auction. As a result of the above-mentioned actions, the agricultural purpose plots with an area of 19.8 ha, a market value of 12 million 179 thousand drams and an area of 13.5 ha, with a market value of 9 million 39 thousand drams were expropriated to D. I. for AMD 13 million 303 thousand.
• The former head of the community created conditions for the limited liability company to buy plots of land at a price much lower than the market value with the help of members of the auction committee on the basis of the Law on Public Bidding and the auction carried out in a number of violations of the Land Code, the former head of the community approved a false protocol on the auction drawn up on July 13, 2017. According to the protocol, the auction was considered completed, the limited liability company was recognized as the winner of the auction. In the result of these actions: 1.3 ha, 0.2 ha, 6.3 ha, 0.9 ha, 6.7 ha, 8.5 ha, 4.5 ha, 0.7 ha, 1.2 ha, 0.09 ha, 0.3 ha, 0.3 ha, 0.2 ha, 0.8 ha, 0.07 ha, 0.6 ha, 0.1 ha and 0.2 ha, in total, AMD 28 million 92 thousand drams were expropriated to the company with limited liability for AMD 13 million 56 thousand.

The Prosecutor's Office of Aragatsotn Region, filed a lawsuit to the Anti-Corruption Court on February 21, 2024 in the framework of the authority to protect state (community) interests, demanding to declare the auctions for the alienation of land plots with an area of ​​33.4719 ha and 33.681 ha, respectively, to recognize invalid and to apply the consequences of invalidity.

By the decision of the Anti-Corruption Court of December 18, 2024, the Prosecutor's Office's lawsuit was partially granted. The auction on July 13, 2017 for the alienation of the land plot with an area of ​​33.681 ha was declared invalid.

Due to new circumstances obtained in the criminal proceedings, the Prosecutor's Office will soon file a new lawsuit with the Anti-Corruption Court to confiscate the other land plot with an area of ​​33.4719 ha to the community.

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.