Kyaramyan Interrogated: What We Know

The former head of the RA Investigative Committee, Arghishti Kyaramyan, has been summoned for interrogation by the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia. Kyaramyan testified that he was approached twice regarding a criminal case involving the son of the pro-government MP Hovik Aghazaryan. This is reported by the newspaper Zhoghovurd.

According to sources familiar with the newspaper, Arghishti Kyaramyan recounted during the interrogation that the son of MP Hovik Aghazaryan had illegally imported and exported a large number of vehicles to Armenia, subsequently receiving a VAT refund from the state, which constitutes illegal activity. This is the reason why Aghazaryan's son's vehicles are currently under seizure.

The media outlet, citing its sources, reported that two requests regarding Aghazaryan's son's case had been submitted to the RA Investigative Committee, and both times the applicant was Hovik Aghazaryan himself. "MP Aghazaryan, utilizing his parliamentary levers, initially approached the investigator handling the case, and for the second time, he approached the Deputy Chair of the Investigative Committee, Arsen Ayvazyan, persuading them to release his son's seized vehicles from arrest," the site mentioned.

According to informed sources, the investigator handling Aghazaryan's request passed it on to his superiors, who informed Arghishti Kyaramyan, and Kyaramyan rejected the request. When Aghazaryan approached the Deputy Chair Arsen Ayvazyan the second time, Ayvazyan also informed Kyaramyan, who again denied the request.

"In this situation, Aghazaryan presumably violated the Armenian Law on 'Guarantees of Parliamentary Activities,' which states in Article 3, paragraphs 4 and 5: 'When exercising their powers, MPs should not pursue personal interests of themselves or related persons and should not misuse the authority of an MP for the benefit of themselves or others.' Furthermore, part one of Article 486 of the Criminal Code prohibits interference and obstruction of the administration of justice or investigation. Aghazaryan, through his request, allegedly attempted to obstruct and influence the preliminary investigation.

Thus, in addition to the bribery charges that have already been initiated against him, Aghazaryan has also committed two other alleged violations, which should prompt the RA Prosecutor General to enter the National Assembly and seek the revocation of Aghazaryan's parliamentary immunity by filing charges against him. However, if he resigns his mandate before that, these alleged criminal offenses may be overlooked and forgotten," the newspaper reported.