Gyumri's Deputy Mayor's Bail Conditions Remain Unchanged, Karapet Ghukasyan's Changed to 3 Months of House Arrest

The Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Judge Sarkis Dadoyan, is currently holding sessions related to the case of Spartak Ghukasyan, the son of Gyumri's Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, Karapet Ghukasyan, Gyumri's Deputy Mayor Aveitis Arakelyan, and the head of Gyumri's communal services, Artem Mkrtchyan.

Spartak Ghukasyan has refused to appear in court, prompting the court to decide to forcibly present him. Zarouhi Postanjyan raised an issue regarding opposition, stating that if the case is against the Anti-Corruption Court, then both the pre-investigation should have been conducted by the respective body and the prosecutorial oversight should have been performed by the appropriate department. However, no motion was presented today; Postanjyan will submit the motion at the next session.

The next subject discussed in the court was the bail conditions for the defendants. The public prosecutor requested an extension of Karapet Ghukasyan's detention period. Among other points, the prosecutor mentioned that Karapet Ghukasyan had a phone conversation with Spartak Ghukasyan while under house arrest. The prosecutor also requested to leave the alternative bail conditions for Aveitis Arakelyan and Artem Mkrtchyan unchanged.

Defense attorney Gagik Khachikyan noted that Karapet Ghukasyan is not a public official. Regarding the phone conversation between Karapet and Spartak Ghukasyan, Khachikyan pointed out that how could Karapet Ghukasyan know that he couldn’t speak with Spartak Ghukasyan, stressing that the restrictions during house arrest are discretionary and Ghukasyan could not have known.

The court decided to leave the ban on Aveitis Arakelyan's bail conditions unchanged, while it changed the conditions imposed on Karapet Ghukasyan to house arrest for a period of three months. The conditions for Artem Mkrtchyan were also changed from house arrest to administrative supervision. Earlier, it was reported that new charges have been filed against Spartak Ghukasyan and the officials of the Gyumri Municipality.