Video: Former High-Ranking Official of the Ministry of Justice ‘Siphoned’ Notaries’ Properties

The Main Directorate for the Fight Against Organized Crime of the Police received information that several officials from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and the Yerevan City Hall, acting out of personal interest and misusing their regulatory powers against the interests of the service, organized the alienation of real estate located on Baghramyan and Bagratuni avenues in Yerevan. As a result of the offenses committed, the community of Yerevan and several notaries suffered significant damages.

Based on the materials prepared regarding the case, explanations from notaries, and other factual data obtained, preliminary information revealed that a former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Justice, along with several other officials from the same ministry and Yerevan City Hall, issued oral instructions to notaries operating on Baghramyan Avenue between 2012-2013, threatening to obstruct their professional activities or terminate their employment in case they did not comply.
Furthermore, they deceived the notary operating on Bagratuni Avenue, thereby depriving the notaries of their rights to manage the notary office spaces that belonged to the city of Yerevan.

Subsequently, by involving affiliated citizens, they effectively organized the acquisition of these properties from Yerevan City Hall through auctions declared by the City Hall, under circumstances of abuse of authority by employees of the 'Land and Property Transactions' LLC, evaluating the properties at prices significantly lower than the market value. Later, based on rental contracts concluded in the names of these citizens, they rented the same spaces to notaries at prices significantly higher than the market value. As a result of these illegal activities, the community of Yerevan and the notaries sustained substantial damage.

A criminal case has been initiated at the Main Directorate for the Fight Against Organized Crime of the Police and has been sent to the Investigative Committee for preliminary investigation. It is noteworthy that, according to reports circulated in the media for an extended period, the privatization of notary office spaces was carried out by the current president of the Constitutional Court and former Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan.