New Criminal Acts Imputed to Mikael Minasian: SCS Provides Details

The State Revenue Committee of Armenia has released a statement detailing newly initiated criminal cases against the former Ambassador of Armenia to the Holy See, Mikael Minasian.

The SCS statement is as follows: “As has been repeatedly mentioned in the media, based on sufficient data obtained during the preliminary investigation of the criminal case being conducted by the Investigation Department of the State Revenue Committee, criminal cases were initiated in 2020 related to publicly dangerous acts allegedly committed by former Ambassador of Armenia to the Holy See Mikael Ara Minasian.

The alleged criminal acts related to Mikael Minasian and the information discovered regarding financial resources under the control of him and his close associates is unprecedented in the history of the law enforcement system of the Third Republic.”

One segment of this comprehensive criminal case has determined, based on a combination of sufficient evidence, to charge Mikael Ara Minasian under Article 310.1 (illegal enrichment), Article 314.3 (concealing substantial data that must be declared), and Article 190 (legalization of property obtained through criminal means) of the RA Criminal Code.

The investigation has established that M. Minasian, being a person obliged to submit a declaration according to the Law on Public Service of RA, significantly increased his property during the reporting period of 2017-2018 by millions of drams, far surpassing his legal income and lacking reasonable justification, thus engaging in illegal enrichment. Furthermore, during the same reporting periods, he failed to declare substantial property data that ought to have been disclosed and legalized property obtained through criminal means.

On March 23, 2020, a decision was made to declare M. Minasian wanted, and on the same day, a motion was submitted to the General Jurisdiction Court of Yerevan to apply detention as a preventive measure against the accused M. Minasian, which the court approved. The defense counsel of the accused M. Minasian appealed the decision on the selection of detention as a preventive measure to the RA Court of Appeals, which was returned to the General Jurisdiction Court for re-examination.

The uncovering of the alleged criminal acts committed by the former Ambassador of Armenia to the Holy See, Mikael Ara Minasian, continues within the ongoing extensive criminal investigation in the SCS.

Specifically, according to data obtained during the investigation, it has also been established that, in addition to the previously committed acts, from 2012 to 2018, M. Minasian, with large financial resources obtained from questionable sources, covertly through an offshore company “Vortex Express LP” registered in Scotland, and then through his associate Rosa Stepanyan, became the actual shareholder of 49 percent of the company “Spayka,” failing to include this information in his declarations as a public official for 2017 and 2018, thereby perpetrating publicly dangerous acts stipulated under Article 314.3 of the RA Criminal Code (concealing substantial data that ought to have been declared).

Based on this information, a decision has been made to complement the charge against M. Minasian, resulting in him being charged under Article 310.1 (two episodes), Article 314.3 (four episodes), and Article 190 (one episode) of the RA Criminal Code. Additionally, to assist in these described acts, a decision has been made to involve Rosa Gevorgi Stepanyan as an accused under Article 38-314.3 (two episodes) of the RA Criminal Code.

Within the scope of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, measures are being taken to unveil all circumstances of public dangerous acts committed by the accused and other possible accomplices, as well as harms inflicted on individuals, organizations, and the state, in addition to restoring public justice.”