Former Deputy Minister of Defense to Pay $500,000 to the Republic of Armenia: Prosecutor's Office

The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia has signed a settlement agreement within the framework of the confiscation of unlawfully obtained property, under which former Deputy Minister of Defense Alik Mirzabekyan and related individuals are obligated to transfer 200 million AMD (approximately $500,000) to the Republic of Armenia. The information was published on the prosecutor's office website.

It is noted that on October 8, 2020, a decision was made in the section dealing with the confiscation of unlawfully obtained property to initiate an investigation concerning properties belonging to Alik Mirzabekyan.

Based on additional materials and positions submitted by the respondents, Alik Mirzabekyan and related individuals were required to return for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia:

• 5 real estate properties,
• 1 vehicle,
• 12 bank deposits and bonds,
• 20,384,000 AMD as it is the remainder of unlawfully obtained funds,
• 54,210,000 AMD that is not justified by the individual's legal income, has unlawful origins, has been transferred to a good-faith purchaser, or cannot be identified and confiscated.

On August 30, 2024, the interested parties submitted a request to conclude the proceedings through a settlement agreement. On September 9, 2024, a settlement agreement was signed, under which the respondents agreed to transfer 200 million AMD, which constitutes 79% of the claim amount.

On September 11, 2024, the settlement agreement signed between the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia and the respondents was submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court for approval (the settlement agreement is subject to court approval within a one-month period as specified by the Civil Procedure Code).