Levon Mnatsakanyan: Cars found in Manvel Grigoryan`s house have no  relation to the Defense Army of Artsakh

ArmInfo. The cars found in the mansion of the former leader of the Yerkrapah Union of Volunteers, lieutenant-general Manvel Grigoryan, have nothing to do with the  Artsakh Defense Army, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Artsakh's Republic's  Defense Minister, told journalists on July 24.  

"Why are you so assured that the cars found at Manvel Grigoryan's house belonged to  the army?," asked Mnatsakanyan. The Minister pointed out that a video  was put in internet showing that philanthropists from Astrakhan  personally handed over the cars to "Yerkrapah" and its youth wing so  that they could use them during the organization of the exercises. "I  declare with full responsibility that all cars donated to the Defense  Army are on the balance sheet of the Defense Army," he stressed.

Levon Mnatsakanyan urged to wait for the court's decision, when  answers will be given to all the questions.  To note today, by the  decision of the Elders' Council of Echmiadzin, Manvel Grigoryan is  deprived of the title of honorary citizen of the city. The city was  governed by his son Karen Grigoryan, who, along with other family  members, is accused on the case of the general.

To recall, Armenian MP, Republican Party member, General Manvel    Grigoryan was detained by NSS employees on June 16. In the framework    of a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 235  (illegal circulation    of weapons) of the Criminal Code of Armenia the NSS conducted a    search in the  mansion and rest zone owned by Manvel Grigoryan on    June 16. According to the source, the recreation area was turned into    a  weapons warehouse, a garage of dozens of retro and modern cars.     The  cottage in Aknalich village served for the general as a  storehouse for food, hygiene products, medicines, military uniforms,    on which was marked  "soldier rations". "From the letters in the    boxes addressed to servicemen, it is obvious that the contents of     the boxes are the help  sent for soldiers to the front line, in the    days of April war," the NSS press center reported. During the search    of Manvel  Grigoryan's mansion, three vehicles were found with    collections of modern high-priced cars, retro cars, motorcycles and   snowmobiles. A  number of off-road cars, provided for in the days of    the four- day war  for the Defense Army, and an ambulance car were    also found.  They were donated to the Defense Army by representatives    of the Armenian community of Russia, which Grigoryan registered as    property of his relatives and transported to his own vehicle fleet. 

Already on June 25, the Special Investigative Service of Armenia in  particular reported: " Karen and Manvel Grigoryans, instead of  transferring the UAZ cars entrusted to them worth 1.389.000 rubles  (equivalent to10.028.580 AMD), to the Defense Army of the Republic of  Artsakh, by prior agreement with a group of persons, by means of  appropriation, stole them, stored in the territory of Ara and  Aiczemnik OJSC located at the address: Echmiadzin, Mashtots Street,  number 19 and used them for personal needs. "