Former Driver of Hrayr Tovmasyan Charged with Assisting in Embezzlement of 5 Million Drams

The Special Investigation Service of Armenia has charged A. H. based on sufficient evidence obtained during the investigation of a criminal case under Article 38-179, Part 3, Clause 1 of the Criminal Code. The charge alleges that from 2011 to 2015, A. H. assisted in the embezzlement of 5,712,550 AMD from state funds by Mihran Poghosyan, who was then the head of the Department of Judicial Acts Enforcement of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.

According to the indictment, A. H., while effectively serving as the driver for Hrayr Tovmasyan, who held the position of Minister of Justice, submitted an application for employment on April 22, 2011, to Mihran Poghosyan. Being aware of A. H.'s de facto service as the minister’s driver, Poghosyan signed employment contracts with A. H. based on the submitted documents, designating him to various positions within the Department from 2011 to 2015, including as a security officer and subsequently as a first-class consultant in the IT implementation and system automation division, and later as an enforcement officer in the Shengavit division of Yerevan.

During this period, A. H. did not attend work and, without fulfilling the functional obligations of the positions held, received a total of 5,712,550 AMD from the state budget allocated to the Department of Judicial Acts Enforcement.

The indictment indicates that A. H. assisted Mihran Poghosyan in embezzling a considerable amount of money from the state budget by using his official position. A. H. has recognized his guilt, repaid part of the damage caused to the state, and expressed his willingness to compensate the full damage. The investigation is ongoing.

Notice: The suspect or accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia by a court verdict that has entered into legal force.