Former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan Summoned by SIS Over Criminal Case

A significant situation has arisen regarding former Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan and former chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission Robert Nazaryan, both of whom are involved in a criminal case. ArmLur.am has learned that Ohanyan has been summoned by the Special Investigative Service (SIS) and offered a proposal regarding the criminal case initiated against him, to which he has provided a noteworthy response.

In an interview with the media, Ohanyan’s attorney Karen Mejlumyan explained the current status of the criminal case. As is known, the SIS announced the conclusion of the preliminary investigation into the criminal case against former Yerevan Mayor Robert Nazaryan, in which Seyran Ohanyan is also implicated as a defendant.

As a result, the case was forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office. However, the Prosecutor's Office has returned the decision made by the preliminary investigation body, indicating that the SIS failed to conduct a proper investigation regarding the former officials, and the prosecutor has decided to re-send the criminal case back for a new investigation by the SIS.

According to the SIS, during 2010, a draft secret decision of the government of Armenia developed by the Ministry of Defense proposed, without observing a series of legal requirements, particularly without mandatory property appraisal, to allow the Ministry to approve the alienation of a package of shares belonging to the state-owned company 'Zorahak' CJSC for 3.6 billion AMD, while its market value was 4.6 billion AMD. Consequently, the shares were sold for less than their actual value.

The SIS has charged Robert Nazaryan, former chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission, with abuse of official powers. Nazaryan has denied these allegations, while Seyran Ohanyan has insisted in an interview with ArmLur.am that he does not accept the charges brought against him.

Robert Nazaryan’s attorney Sasun Rafaelian issued a statement urging the SIS to utilize the existing opportunity and prevent the unfounded case from reaching the court. In response, the SIS decided to address the attorney, stating, “We find it necessary to emphasize that such statements regarding the innocence of their defendants at this stage are merely an unfounded attempt by the defense to shape public opinion about the case, as the allegations against Robert Nazaryan, detailed in the communication released by the SIS on April 10, 2021, are well-grounded based on a collection of credible, interrelated, and substantial evidence obtained during the proper legal procedures of the preliminary investigation.”

However, based on the circumstances, the prosecutor’s office provided a strong counter to the SIS’s vigorous statements and rejected the SIS investigator’s decision claiming that the preliminary investigation had concluded and that the case could proceed to court, returning it to the SIS for further inquiry.