Substantial Damage of 75,927,012 AMD: Dilijan Community Leader Misuses Official Position

The Armenian Investigative Committee's Main Department for Corruption and Crimes against Property has initiated a criminal case against the leader of the Dilijan community for abusing official powers and committing official forgery.

According to preliminary investigation data, the community leader, who has held the position since 2005, created a fraudulent document with the help of other individuals, causing significant property damage of 75,927,012 AMD to the Dilijan community by failing to fulfill his official duties.

Investigations revealed that the community leader utilized his official position against the interests of the service. He initiated a low-priced auction for a 40-year lease at an annual starting price of 1,317,000 AMD for a multi-story building in Dilijan, which covered a total area of 2,611.2 square meters. This auction required participants to present and implement a capital renovation plan for the building as a condition of rental.

Additionally, the community leader, fully aware of the lack of a mandatory capital renovation plan for the aforementioned building for participating in the announced competition by a company operating in the community, endorsed a clearly falsified official document regarding the conduct of this competition. The building in question was then leased, under a rental agreement for non-residential property, to a company founded approximately 30 days prior in the name of the daughter of an official from the Dilijan City Hall for an annual amount of 1,448,700 AMD and a 40-year rental right.

The investigation also established that from June 2006 until the termination of the contract in September 2018, the community leader, endowed with responsibilities for collecting and controlling rental payments for community property, failed to execute his official duties. Specifically, without presenting any renovation plan or investment from the aforementioned company, he did not review or terminate the obviously unprofitable rental agreement for the community. In essence, the auction for the mentioned building in Dilijan was conducted at a starting price significantly lower than the market value, with the apparent goal of carrying out the building's capital renovation. However, it had not undergone capital renovation for approximately 12 years and had been used for personal gain, leading to significant financial loss for the community budget.

During that period, a total of 90,117,812 AMD was collected from sublessees of community property, yet only 14,190,800 AMD was transferred to the community budget, resulting in a substantial property damage of 75,927,012 AMD, which has caused serious consequences due to negligence.

Based on sufficient evidence obtained during the investigation, the community leader has been charged under parts 2 of Article 308 and part 1 of Article 314 of the RA Criminal Code. The investigator has presented a proposal to the court to apply detention as a preventive measure against the community leader, which the court has accepted while also permitting an alternative preventive measure in the form of bail. The investigation is ongoing.

Note: The person suspected or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia by a final and enforceable court decision.