Former Head of Karenis Community Charged

The National Security Service of Armenia has launched an investigation into allegations against the former head of the Karenis community in the Kotayk province. The inquiry stemmed from a joint review conducted by the Territorial Development and Environment Division of the Government of Armenia and the Cadastre Committee, which revealed concerning findings during a continuous monitoring by the State Supervisory Service.

According to the collected evidence, the former community leader exploited his official position and, on May 5, 2011, signed a lease agreement for immovable property with a resident of Abovyan city, allowing the individual to lease a 0.02 hectare land plot classified as agricultural pasture for 25 years at an annual fee of 100,000 AMD.

Subsequently, on June 8, 2011, a sublease agreement was established, allowing the same individual to sublease the aforementioned land for a monthly fee of 65,000 AMD to a private company. During this period, the sublessee reportedly paid approximately 5,440,000 AMD to the lessee, while the Karenis community lost around 4,896,000 AMD, significantly impacting its financial standing.

As a result, the investigation unit of the Charentsavan Division of the Kotayk Province Investigative Department initiated a criminal case based on Part 2 of Article 308 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, concerning the abuse of official authority. Sufficient evidence accumulated during the investigation led to charges against the former head for allegedly abusing his powers.

As a preventive measure, a signature not to leave has been imposed on him. During the pre-trial investigation, the resident of Abovyan has compensated for part of the damages, paying back 1,000,000 AMD. The investigation of the criminal case is ongoing.