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Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   28 March 2024

Speaker receives prosecutor’s request to strip Republican lawmaker of immunity for criminal proceedings in major bribery case

Speaker receives prosecutor’s request to strip Republican lawmaker of immunity for criminal 
proceedings in major bribery case

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan has issued a statement on the motion filed by Prosecutor General of Armenia requesting to strip Republican (HHK) faction MP Aram Harutyunyan of immunity for criminal proceedings.

In the statement, the Speaker notified that he has received the motion requesting to enable authorities to launch criminal proceedings against the MP, as well as arrest him.

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

 

 








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