On the basis of the sufficient body of evidence gathered in the criminal case being investigated by the RA Special Investigation Service, former Syunik Governor Surik Khachatryan has been charged under Part 1 of Article 309 of the RA Criminal Code, Point 1 of Part 3 of Article 38-179, and Part 1 of Article 38-314, for committing criminal acts in that he exceeded the scope of his authority and, using his official position and giving unlawful orders to persons, instigated embezzlement on an especially large scale and official forgery, as a result of which substantial damage was caused to the lawful interests of the state.
As reported by the SIS, it was specifically established that Surik Khachatryan, while serving as Governor of Syunik during 2011-2012, through an official of the governor’s office gave an unlawful order to the head of the Noravan community of Syunik Province, Lavrentik Arakelyan, to hand over metal pipes belonging to the Noravan community to his brother without any legal basis.
Lavrentik Arakelyan, in violation of the requirements of the law, instead of presenting a proposal to the community council on alienating the pipes and then alienating them or providing them for use by decision of the community council and under the conditions it set, at the instigation of Surik Khachatryan, provided metal pipes constituting the property of the Noravan community, valued on an especially large scale at 5,132,891 Armenian drams, to Surik Khachatryan’s brother.
In addition, during August-September 2016, Surik Khachatryan gave an unlawful order to the head of the Akner community to alienate, through a sham auction, a plot of land of 0.43 hectares connecting a land parcel located in the Akner community to the road, to a person designated by him, Ashot Gevorgyan. To that end, the head of the Akner community staff, on the instructions of the community head, inserting obviously false information, drew up false records on the holding and results of the auction of the said land plot, according to which, allegedly, at an auction held on 16 September 2016, the said plot of 0.43 hectares was sold to Ashot Gevorgyan for 70,000 Armenian drams.
On 19.11.2019, a wanted notice was issued for Surik Khachatryan. On the same day, detention was chosen as a preventive measure against S. Khachatryan.
Charges have also been brought in the criminal case against Lavrentik Arakelyan under Point 1 of Part 3 of Article 179 of the RA Criminal Code, and against Ashot Gevorgyan under Part 1 of Article 38-314 of the RA Criminal Code.
The preliminary investigation is ongoing.
