On 17 August 2026, the prosecutor referred to the Anti-Corruption Court, with an approved indictment, the case files concerning M.H., accused of receiving a bribe and inducing the commission of official forgery; S.Kh., accused of aiding and abetting the abuse of official powers and committing official forgery; and L.N., accused of abusing official powers.

The criminal proceedings initiated by the Anti-Corruption Committee established that, from 17 January to 31 December 2019, M.H. held the position of Coordinator for Real Estate Transactions at the Abovyan Municipality. Being vested with powers to act on behalf of the Municipality and perform administrative and economic functions, in April 2019 he reached an agreement with G.G., a resident of Abovyan, to organise the illegal legalisation of unauthorised structures built by G.G.’s mother on a land plot adjacent to 3/1/1, 3rd Microdistrict, Abovyan, which was owned by the Abovyan Community, and subsequently arrange for the alienation of the land plot occupied by those structures to her.

For this purpose, on 23 April 2019, G.G. submitted an application to V.G., the Head of the Abovyan Community. During the consideration of the application, M.H. induced S.Kh., Head of the Urban Development Department of the Municipality, to prepare an urban-planning conclusion that did not correspond to reality.

The false conclusion prepared by S.Kh. on 7 May 2019 stated that the structures with areas of 286.55 sq. m and 28.8 sq. m, located at 3/1/1, 3rd Microdistrict, Abovyan, had not been constructed on land included in the list of restrictions established by Article 60 of the Land Code. However, the investigation established that, according to the master plan of the Abovyan Community, the 1,045.7 sq. m land plot occupied by those structures had the designated use of “parks and gardens” and was included in the list of restrictions established by Article 60 of the Land Code.

On the basis of the aforementioned false conclusion, V.G., who held the position of Head of the Abovyan Community, acting contrary to the State and service interests and abusing his powers and official authority, illegally legalised the aforementioned unauthorised structures by Decision No. 468 of 16 May 2019.

Subsequently, M.H. submitted the relevant documents to the Abovyan Service Office of the staff of the State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre under the Government in order to ensure the state registration of the community’s ownership right. As a result, on 4 June 2019, the ownership right of the Abovyan Community to the aforementioned structures and land plot was registered.

On the same day, G.G. gave USD 200 to M.H. as a bribe for completing the unlawful actions in his favour and facilitating the process of alienating the land plot occupied by the structures in the name of his mother.

As a result of the report submitted by S.Kh. and the relevant administrative actions, on 5 June 2019, L.N., who was acting as Head of the Abovyan Community, adopted Decision No. 565 on the direct sale of the 1,045.7 sq. m community-owned land plot to G.G.’s mother for AMD                         8 million 485 thousand.

Subsequently, on the basis of the sale and purchase agreement concluded on 7 December 2020, the aforementioned land plot, which is non-alienable land under Article 60 of the Land Code and has a designated use of “parks”, was illegally alienated and registered in the Cadastre Committee in the name of G.G.’s mother.

On 30 July 2026, the prosecutor initiated public criminal prosecution against M.H. for receiving a bribe and inducing the commission of official forgery; against S.Kh. for aiding and abetting the abuse of official powers and committing official forgery; and against L.N. for abusing official powers.

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.