Gugark Community Head Restores Over 12 Million Drams in Damages to the State

The investigation by the Lori Regional Investigation Department of the RA Investigative Committee regarding the misuse of official powers by the head of the Gugark community has been completed. This was reported by the Investigative Committee.

The investigation revealed that the head of the Gugark community in the Lori region, who has held the position since October 2005, was informed of the intention of one of the telecommunications operators in Armenia to install and operate a broadcasting station on the community-owned grazing land, and their willingness to pay a high rent in return. Misusing his official position against the interests of the service, he committed abuses.

Specifically, aiming to divert the anticipated high rents from the use of community-owned land not to the community budget, but to improve the welfare of his family, he submitted an application to the municipality to lease the specified land area in his wife's name. This was driven by motives of securing additional income for his family from the use of community land in the coming years, creating grounds for establishing a relevant competitive commission and conducting a competition.

He then personally initiated the land survey work and created a competitive commission, and by virtue of the provisions set forth in the RA Land Code, leading the competitive commission, organized and conducted a formal competition regarding the leasing of the specified community-owned land, during which his wife was declared the winner as the only participant. Subsequently, in June 2007, he signed a lease agreement with his wife, leasing the community-owned land of 0.12 hectares for 50 years with the right of construction at an annual rent of 2000 AMD.

Shortly after signing the lease, in July 2007, through his wife, he sub-leased a portion of 0.02 hectares of the same land to a telecommunications service provider for an annual rent of 1,020,000 AMD. As a result, until March 2020, the community received a total profit of 12,489,500 AMD in rent from the specified organization, causing significant damage to the rights and legitimate interests of the Gugark community. This recklessness has led to serious consequences, as the community has lost the opportunity to earn substantial income of 12,489,500 AMD from the use of its property and to utilize the land for its intended operational purposes.

Based on the evidence gathered, charges have been brought against the community head under Part 2 of Article 308 of the RA Criminal Code (abuse of official powers). During the investigation, the community head fully restored the damages incurred. The investigation has been completed, and the criminal case, with an accusatory conclusion, has been forwarded to the court.

Note: The suspect or accused in the alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code with a legally binding court verdict.