Anti-Corruption Committee launches prosecutes Echmiadzin mayor 

ArmInfo. The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has initiated proceedings on an administrative offense against the head of the Echmiadzin community  Diana Gasparyan. The commission's decision of March 13 was published  on the commission's website.

In early February of this year, the Armenian service of Radio Liberty  reported that Diana Gasparyan signed a contract with individual  entrepreneur Ashot Mirzoyan, her father-in-law, to purchase  compressed natural gas for the city administration on January 27 for  13.6 million drams.

According to the contract, the refueling of vehicles used for the  needs of the Vagharshapat City Hall must be carried out at Mirzoyan's  gas station. This station was founded in 2020 and is located at 1  Echmiadzin- Artemet Highway. It is noteworthy that Ashot Mirzoyan  received permits for the construction of this station from his future  daughter-in-law, Diana Gasparyan, when she was already the mayor of  Vagharshapat.

The purchase was carried out through an electronic tender. According  to the Gnumner.am platform, in addition to IP Ashot Mirzoyan, the  companies

• and also participated in the  competition. Mirzoyan was declared the winner of the tender, having  offered the lowest price, which was only 133 thousand drams less than  that of his closest competitor.

   

  According to the Armenian Law on Civil Service, if an official's  actions or decisions may lead to a conflict of interest, he/she is  obliged to submit a written notification to his/her superior.  However, community heads do not have a superior body, so in such  cases they must notify the Corruption Prevention Commission.  Until  the application is considered, the official is obliged to refrain  from making a decision on the relevant issue.

  However, the Corruption Prevention Commission told that  no notifications about a conflict of interest were received from the  mayor of Vagharshapat, and Diana Gasparyan did not refuse to  participate in the decision-making and signed a contract with her  father-in-law.

  In response to 's written inquiry, Gasparyan stated that  the procurement process was conducted electronically, and she did not  personally see or identify the tender participants.

  , Gasparyan  said in her response.

  She also noted that in order to prevent similar situations in the  future, it is planned to review internal control mechanisms. As noted  by Azatutyun, even if the Corruption Prevention Commission  establishes a conflict of interest, Armenian legislation does not  provide for the cancellation of the contract or serious fines. The  maximum penalty is an administrative proceeding and a fine of 300  thousand drams.

  At the same time, scandals around the Gasparyan family are nothing  new. Diana Gasparyan's husband, Aramayis Mirzoyan, is a member of the  Civil Contract faction in the Vagharshapat Council of Elders. At the  end of 2023, a Hetq investigation revealed that his mother had begun  illegal construction in Echmiadzin.

  Gasparyan's husband's family began building residential buildings in  Echmiadzin without permission. In addition, 1.2 hectares of land were  transferred to the mayor's family under dubious circumstances. Araks  Community Council member from the Civil Contract party Shahen  Shahinyan first bought the land at an auction held by the  Vagharshapat Municipality and then transferred it to the company Nare  Plus, which belongs to Gasparyan's mother-in-law. Based on these  revelations, the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia opened a  criminal case and Diana Gasparyan was interrogated.