On February 19, 2025 the Prosecutor sent to the court the criminal case with indictment bill regarding V. S. and A. P. accused for money laundering, establishing a legal entity and committing illegal activity by means of using it, evading particularly large taxes and joining a criminal organization established by M. M., the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the Holy See.

It was established during the criminal proceedings investigated by the Investigative Committee under the supervision of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes of the Prosecutor General's Office that M. M., the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the Holy See, together with L. A., T. E., M. V. and others, being involved in a criminal organization, with prior consent with G. H. and with the support of others, committed illegal activity by means of establishing a legal entity and using it. Besides, M. M. having consent with the heads of a number of the RA resident companies, expressed his willingness to use the factor of being the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the Holy See, Ambassador of Armenia to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and a member of the family of the President of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the influence resulting from them, in exchange for receiving a particularly large amount of illegal remuneration from the SAMTELL organization belonging to him. As a result, the Armenian account of the non-resident organization which was created in order to conceal the prohibited activities was replenished by AMD 6 billion 103 million 104 thousand AMD, 12 million 795 thousand USD, 952 million 281 thousand Russian rubles and 1700 euros.

In the result of this illegal activity damage of particularly large amount of money, AMD 1 billion 504 million 382 thousand, was caused to the state by the RA resident companies which failed to pay taxes. 

During 2013-2018, particularly large amount of AMD 6 billion 103 million 104 thousand, 12 million 795 thousand USD, 952 million 281 thousand Russian rubles and 1700 euros, transferred to the account of the organization established to carry out illegal activities by various resident and non-resident companies, as well as cash deposit transactions carried out by individuals affiliated with M. M., including A.P. Then, one of the companies, represented by the founder and director B. S. and chief accountant A. M., mixing the funds with other amounts received on the account of that company that were not justified by its legal activities and were of criminal origin, invested AMD 11 billion 154 million 994 thousand in “Velofirma” LLC (“Double Tree by Hilton” hotel), ultimately legalizing particularly large amount of criminal origin.

The preliminary investigation also substantiated that from November 18, 2014, M. M. and L. A., being the factual head and the responsible person of the fuel wholesale company, organized the inclusion of distorted data in the calculation submitted to the tax authority in order to avoid paying taxes in a particularly large amount, AMD 396 million by the company's director T. E. and the company's chief accountant A. M.

In particular, M. M. being the factual head of the fuel wholesale company together with L. A. the factual responsible person of the company, possessing the actual data on the company's taxable profit for 2019, they instructed the company's director T. E. and chief accountant A. M. to submit distorted data to the tax authority, avoid paying particularly large amounts of taxes, and directed the commission of the aforementioned crime.  

2019. E. and A. M., being responsible for organizing the accounting of “Capreco” CJSC and submitting financial statements and complying with a number of other requirements stipulated by law, received an advance payment of AMD 1 billion 980 million AMD from “Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine” CJSC on the basis of the agreement signed on January 17, 2017 on amending the agreement signed on November 5, 2014 with the above-mentioned company and “Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine” CJSC for the purpose of supplying fuel during the given year. T. E. and A. M. converted the above-mentioned amount transferred to the account of the company under the goods supply agreement into a loan amount, after which, in violation of the requirements of Articles 53 and 104 of the Tax Code, they entered distorted data in the annual calculation of profit tax for 2018 and 2019. In order to avoid paying the profit tax of AMD 396 million arising from the AMD 1 billion 980 million received after signing of the above-mentioned agreement.

On February 19, 2025, the prosecutor approved the indictment bill against T. E., A. M.  and M. V. and transferred the materials of the proceeding to the Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan City.

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.