Video: Don't Try to Corner Hovsepyan, Former Prosecutor to the Accuser

In the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, the trial regarding the criminal case against former Chief Prosecutor of Armenia, Arghavan Hovsepyan, is underway.

The former high-ranking official addressed an incident that occurred during the previous court session, where the prosecuting attorney attempted to present Hovsepyan's remark that the incidents described in the criminal case occurred 10-15 years ago as proof of his guilt.

“Dear sir, first, do not try to corner me in speech. Moreover, Hovsepyan stated, the incidents took place 10-15 years ago. You should at least be able to differentiate between what an incident is and what a crime is. To distinguish what a crime is, what an incident is, etc., I would recommend you visit the Public Library, take out the explanatory dictionary of the Haykazyan language, the explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov, the explanatory dictionary of Dal, and the radical dictionary of Hrachya Acharyan. Open it and see that an incident is something else, and a crime consists of two roots, which are made up of an offense and an incident,” said the former Chief Prosecutor, directing his words to the prosecuting attorney, Koryun Serobyan.

Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan noted that during the previous court session, when the incident described by Arghavan Hovsepyan occurred, the court had not yet reached the phase of examining evidence. Furthermore, he urged the parties to refrain from making statements containing elements of insult.

In turn, the prosecuting attorney Serobyan disagreed with Arghavan Hovsepyan, stating that he not only did not make such a statement but also very well understands what a crime is and what an incident is.

In the criminal case in question, Arghavan Hovsepyan is accused of having, from March 18, 2004, until September 13, 2013, while holding the position of Chief Prosecutor of Armenia, and from July 18, 2014, until June 11, 2018, as the head of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, established companies engaged in entrepreneurial activities contrary to the legal prohibition, in collaboration with Arshavir Sargsyan, with whom he had close relations from 2007 to 2015. He personally managed these companies and through his sons. Moreover, he is accused of legalizing substantial income obtained from illegal entrepreneurship.