Galust Sahakyan`s son accused of fraudulently causing property damage

ArmInfo. As a result of a comprehensive investigation carried out by the Main Directorate for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative  Committee, the circumstances of the abuse of office by the officials  of the Yerevan Municipality, causing property damage through  deception by  son of former NA Member Galust Sahakyan, Tigran  Sahakyan, as well as cases of falsification of evidence were  clarified.

According to the Investigative Committee, according to the factual  data obtained by the investigation, in 2003 the Minister of State  Property Management of the Republic of Armenia (head of the  department), using his official position, contrary to the interests  of the service, privatized the building of the Achapnyak supermarket  on Abelyan Street in favor of a previously known buyer - Tigran  Sahakyan for only 22.5 ml.  drams, that is, significantly lower than  the assessed value. After that, the latter, having paid the specified  amount, acquired ownership of the specified property.

After acquiring the said property, on June 26, 2003, Tigran Sahakyan  submitted an application to the Yerevan Municipality, asking for the  reconstruction of a supermarket, expanding the service area,  organizing parking, upgrading and landscaping, to additionally  provide a land plot with an area of about 3600 sq. m. and recognize  the ownership of land. According to the decision made on September 11  of the same year by the Mayor of Yerevan, the land plot with an area  of 7470 sq. m, occupied by the building of the "Ajapnyak" supermarket  on Abelian Street, and a land plot with an area of 3880 sq. m., on a  lease basis and with a preemptive right to purchase, were provided to  Tigran Sahakyan. The lease agreements were signed on February 10,  2004.

According to the regulations specified in the cadastral values of  land plots established by the government decision of December 12,  2003, the cadastral value of the land plots leased by Tigran Sahakyan  amounted to 51,347,400 drams, however, according to the previous  regulations, it was 16,623,437 drams.

Tigran Sahakyan, with the aim of fraudulently acquiring the indicated  territories at tariffs in force prior to the adoption of the  above-mentioned decision of the RA government, with the intent of  falsifying evidence in a civil case, through his representative filed  a lawsuit demanding to oblige the Yerevan Municipality in the form of  direct sale to alienate the land plots to him and to establish an  alienation price valid until December 24, 2003. As a substantiation  of the factual data indicated in the statement of claim, Sahakyan  presented false evidence to the court, namely, instead of the  contracts concluded on February 10, 2004, he presented false  contracts concluded on February 10, 2003.

The Deputy Head of the Legal Department of the Staff of the Yerevan  Municipality, being obliged in the manner prescribed by law to ensure  the protection of the interests of the Municipality in court, using  his official position contrary to the interests of the service,  striving to be useful to Arman Sahakyan, who works in the  Municipality, did not submit objections to the court on the false  factual data indicated in the claim, and together with a specialist  of the first category of the same department, he noted that the  assessment of the issue and the decision on the merits are left to  the discretion of the court. The head of the same department, trying  to be useful to Arman  Sahakyan, using his official position contrary  to the interests of the service, did not file a complaint with the  Court of Appeal against the court decision of April 9, 2004, in favor  of the latter's brother, Tigran Sahakyan.

As a result, instead of 51.347.400 drams to be paid to the state as  the cadastral value of the land plot, 16.623.437 drams were paid,  causing property damage to the state in the amount of 34.723.963  drams.  Based on the totality of the sufficient evidence obtained,  Tigran Sahakyan was charged under paragraph 1 of part 2 of article  184 (causing property damage by deception or abuse of trust) and part  1 of article 349 (falsification of evidence) of the RA Criminal Code.  The head of the legal department of the Yerevan Municipality  Administration and his deputy were charged under Part 2 of Article  308 (abuse of office) of the RA Criminal Code, and an employee of the  same department was charged under Part 2 of Article 38- 308 of the  Criminal Code of the RA. A written undertaking not to leave was  chosen as a preventive measure. The investigation has been completed;  the criminal case with the indictment was sent to the court.