SSS Initiates New Criminal Case Related to Tsarukyan Concerning Arinj Community Mayor's Activities

The National Security Service of Armenia, in pursuit of its mandate to combat crime, has initiated a new criminal investigation following extensive investigative and procedural actions, as well as comprehensive operational and intelligence measures. It has been established that officials of the Arinj community in Kotayk province, driven by personal interests, intentionally misused their organizational, managerial, and administrative functions against the interests of the service.

Specifically, they rented out 7.5 hectares of agricultural land in violation of legal regulations to the founders, participants, and the director of ‘New’ LLC. After legalizing unauthorized constructions on this land based on decisions made by the community's head, they sold the land as industrial properties without changing its designated purpose. Subsequently, the rented 7.5 hectares of land was recognized as the company’s property for industrial and other production purposes without divulging the necessary information to the State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre of Armenia.

Following the stated abuses, the same community officials once again, driven by personal interests, planned to illegally legitimize constructions built on a 0.8147-hectare agricultural land adjacent to the company’s legally owned land, without changing the land use designation and without paying the legally required fees for the legalization of the company's unauthorized constructions. They sold this parcel as land unencumbered by constructions through direct sales.

Later, based on a decision by the community head, the intended use of the land was changed from agricultural to industrial, resulting in a loss of income for the community budget amounting to 36,539,925 drams. Additionally, the 7.5 hectares of agricultural land were not sold, resulting in a failure to contribute 2,925,000 drams to the community budget. Furthermore, by not completing the sale of this land as industrial, the community budget faced a loss of 339,300,000 drams, substantially harming the legal interests of the community and the state, leading to serious consequences.

A criminal case has been initiated in the investigative department of the National Security Service of Armenia, and the investigation is ongoing.

Notice: The suspected or accused individual in connection with the alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty under the rules established by the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia with a legal decision made by a court.