YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has commented on the Prosecutor General’s motion submitted to parliament that is requesting to strip lawmaker Aram Harutyunyan of immunity for criminal proceedings.

Speaking at a campaigning rally for My Step bloc in the town of Ararat in the eponymous province ahead of the general election, Pashinyan mentioned about the developments over Harutyunyan. “Aram Harutyunyan is a former minister of nature protection, and he is suspected in taking a 14 million dollar bribe. This is yet another manifestation and proof that we will be coherent in the anti-corruption combat,” Pashinyan said.

He said he wants to present on the example of this case as to why the combat against corruption takes long time in many cases. “I know that there are questions, and it is very important that we all imagine the details of the process. Regarding this case, If my memory serves me right, the citizen had filed a report approximately four months ago, maybe even five. And since these actions, according to preliminary information, were committed through foreign banks, the investigation couldn’t resume as long as an official response to the inquiry of our investigative bodies wasn’t received from a foreign state, which was sent through the foreign ministry. When I was delivering a speech in parliament as a candidate for prime minister, I said that the procedures of our foreign partners are such that this couldn’t have happened quicker, based on objective and subjective reasons. This response, that our investigative bodies were waiting for, lasted for approximately four months. And when this response was to arrive, the actions that our investigative bodies were to take would last from a week to ten days. But our investigative bodies had to wait four months only for this inquiry. Moreover, the investigative bodies had already non-officially gathered all information required for launching a criminal case. They knew in advance what response will be received, but as long as this response isn’t official, no such information can be put at the basis for pressing charges,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed that many instances have taken place when a criminal case is launched and then the court has freed the suspect on bail etc. “And rumors began, or certain people attempted on social media to make the impression alleging that the authorities are making a show, they’ve caught someone, then agreed something and released them. I want to directly say this by looking you in the eyes, that no unprincipled compromise will take place in the anti-corruption combat. It is ruled out for us to make some kind of a deal behind the back of the people on any issue, moreover on issues that had principled significance in carrying out the non-violent, velvet, people’s revolution in Armenia. I want us to note this – there won’t be any deal behind the back of the people. The looted money must be returned penny by penny,” Pashinyan said.

Prosecutor General of Armenia Arthur Davtyan has submitted a motion to parliament requesting to strip MP Aram Harutyunyan of immunity and enable the prosecution to launch criminal prosecution and arrest him.

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said that an investigation has gathered sufficient evidence to incriminate Aram Harutyunyan of bribery. The prosecutor’s office said that back in 2008, when the lawmaker was serving as minister of nature protection, and also as chairman of a commission granting mining-related permits , Harutyunyan demanded a person, whose identity hasn’t been disclosed, to pay him 14,000,000 USD in a bribe in order to get a license for exploration and exploitation of 10 non-ferrous metal ore locations in four different provinces of Armenia. According to the prosecution, Harutyunyan received the bribe.

6,000,000 dollars was given to the then-minister in cash from 2008 January to November, while the remainder was transferred to his bank account, the prosecution said. All transcations were made through mediation.

Harutyunyan later laundered the money through fraudulent bank accounts, the prosecution said.

Two people have been charged for assisting bribery. Two others are wanted for the same charges and an arrest warrant has been issued.

At the same time, the prosecution said that the investigation has revealed that Aram Harutyunyan is the shadowy owner of major real estate in Yerevan, including homes, apartments, a 7-storey building, a restaurant complex, a public-significance building worth 427 million drams. He also owns more than 10 farming land areas in the province of Kotayk, the prosecution said.

The prosecution said it has sufficient evidence and grounds to believe that the lawmaker might attempt to obstruct the investigation and that there is a risk that he may try to hide from justice.

Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan filed a motion to Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan to strip Harutyunyan of immunity.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan