Vagharshapat Community Leader Fined 300,000 Drams by the Anti-Corruption Commission

The Anti-Corruption Commission has fined the leader of Vagharshapat community, Diana Gasparyan, 300,000 drams for actions related to a conflict of interest.

The basis for the administrative penalty was an article by Hetq titled "Diana Gasparyan’s Mother-in-Law has Started Illegal Construction in Ejmiatsin." Diana Gasparyan's husband’s family had started a real estate business in Ejmiatsin, acquiring communal land with the help of partners and performing earthworks and concrete works without waiting for the necessary permissions.

Small houses are being constructed next to the regional sports school on Terian Street in the city, and construction is underway there. In one section, concrete work is happening, while earth-moving is taking place in another section. The company “Nare Plus” LLC has been granted 20 permissions to construct residential buildings. The total area of the land is about 1.2 hectares, divided into 59 separate plots.

The sole owner of “Nare Plus” is Diana Gasparyan's mother-in-law, the mother of council member Aramayis Mirzoyan. The company was established on July 17, 2023. Rouzana Asatryan is both the sole owner and director of “Nare Plus.”

On November 24, November 28, and December 13, 2023, Diana Gasparyan granted 20 construction permits to the director of “Nare Plus,” who is her mother-in-law. According to the Anti-Corruption Commission, the community leader failed to submit a written declaration to the Commission within a 10-day period concerning the circumstances related to the conflict of interest, thereby violating legal requirements.

Diana Gasparyan has submitted a position to the Anti-Corruption Commission stating that Rouzana Asatryan is her husband's mother, with whom she does not reside, operates a separate household, and has not been connected to her, thus, no supposed conflict of interest could arise. Additionally, she stated that she was not guided by personal or private interest in making decisions and had no intention to create an advantage or privilege for herself or her family members.

Moreover, Diana Gasparyan presented a number of arguments stating that she acted in accordance with principles of ethics and for the public good. However, the Anti-Corruption Commission did not find her reasoning convincing and subjected her to administrative responsibility for violating the law related to the conflict of interest.