David Galstyan, aka 'Patron Davo', to Remain in Custody; Lawyer Asserts Process is Unlawful

Businessman David Galstyan, known as 'Patron Davo', will continue to be held in custody. The Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Armen Bekhtashyan, rejected the appeal of Galstyan's lawyers against the initial ruling to detain him, leaving the decision of the first-instance court unchanged. This information was provided to Pastinfo by lawyer Armen Harutyunyan.

Following the court's decision, the defense will discuss the possibility of filing a cassation appeal.

Recall that on February 2, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction, led by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, approved the National Security Service investigator's request to detain Galstyan as a preventive measure. In their appeal to the Court of Appeals, the defense challenged both the existence of reasonable suspicion and the grounds for detention, arguing that they were absent.

During the investigative phase, the defense presented undeniable evidence that the relevant supplies were made according to established procedures and had passed all necessary processes. They stated that the existence of a criminal case and depriving David Galstyan of liberty does not align with the contents of that case. According to the lawyer, the appeal should not have been rejected as it raised the issue of the absence of a criminal offense.

The lawyer assessed the court's decision as baseless, stating that the provided evidence was undeniable, and he could not currently explain why the court made such a ruling. He did not elaborate on the investigative actions involving Galstyan but noted that the court's decision also demonstrated that there was no connection with any legal process.

“No legal process is underway, and what processes are ongoing will be revealed in time,” the lawyer remarked, adding that they would prepare a cassation appeal after receiving the Court of Appeals' decision, although in these circumstances, they do not hope for a positive resolution from the Supreme Court, yet they will pursue all legal avenues.

When asked whether motions had been submitted to the investigative body, the lawyer indicated that several motions had been filed, along with various pieces of evidence, indicating that they were undertaking a significant procedural workload, almost conducting an investigation themselves, but he could not disclose details publicly at this time.

According to a statement issued by the National Security Service, D.G., the chairman of a company registered abroad, initially conspired with the company's director A.B. with the intent of embezzling a particularly large sum of money. The company signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, where it committed to supply corresponding ammunition of artillery produced between 1983 and 1986 for the needs of the Armenian Armed Forces during the year 2018.

Subsequently, taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the concluded contract, A.B. and D.G. embarked on a fraudulent scheme to sell goods that did not comply with the subject of the contract and to realize the embezzlement of a particularly large amount of money from the Ministry of Defense. They purportedly supplied artillery shells of a different type produced in Czechoslovakia in 1977, valued at $1,083,000, which significantly lacked the tactical and technical characteristics of those for which they were supplied, ultimately compromising the Ministry of Defense's ability to address combat tasks. As a result, a particularly large sum equivalent to 523,089,000 AMD was fraudulently embezzled from the company's account based on the concluded contract.