Approximately 1.8 Billion Dram Damage Incurred: Prosecutor Initiates Public Criminal Prosecution

A citizen of the Republic of Armenia, A.E., along with other individuals as part of a group, has fraudulently stolen and legalized properties of especially large value. This information has been provided by the Prosecutor's Office.

During the criminal proceedings examined by the Anti-Corruption Committee, it was revealed that A.E. had recognized and interacted with G.S., the assistant of a judge of the common jurisdiction court of the Erebuni and Nubarashen administrative districts of Yerevan, from 2008 to 2011.

In particular, during 2012, A.E. and the judge's assistant G.S. fraudulently acquired a 0.75 hectare plot of land located in the 1st microdistrict of Avan-Arinj with a market value of 300 million dram. In the same year, A.E. obtained false documents with the aim of stealing a 394 square meter plot with a market value of 20 million dram and a 543 square meter building situated on it.

In January 2013, in collusion with N.H., a close associate engaged in legal activities, G.S., the judge's assistant, and citizen V.M., A.E. acquired a 2.61 hectare plot of land with a market value of 1.5 billion dram located adjacent to David Bek Street.

In the described three cases, applications were submitted to the Erebuni and Nubarashen administrative district court for approval of the facts to register the plots with the Cadastre Committee, where the cases were assigned to judge A.M.

For two of the described transactions, A.E. legalized properties obtained through criminal means—land plots valued at 76 million dram and 138 million dram—by concealing and distorting the true ownership and origin of his share in the plots through various civil law transactions.

Taking into account that the actions of A.E. exhibit elements of a crime, on September 15, 2023, the prosecutor initiated public criminal proceedings against A.E. under point 1 of part 3 of Article 178 (fraud committed in especially large amounts) and point 1 of part 3 of Article 190 (money laundering) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.

By the decision of the Anti-Corruption Court on September 18, 2023, detention was chosen as a measure of constraint against A.E. for a period of two months.