The National Security Service of RA, being faithful to the adopted policy of eliminating various manifestations of corruption and repairing the damage caused to the state, as a result of operational and search measures and investigative activities undertaken within the functions – vested upon it by the law – aimed at countering corruption, detected a case of abuse of official powers and stealing, through embezzlement, in especially large amounts, in the local-self-government bodies.

According to the received factual information, the official who held the post of the head of one of the communities of Yerevan and then the post of Mayor of Yerevan, proceeding from his personal interest, used his official position against the interests of the service and, using his official position, embezzled a real estate – a kindergarten on Tamanyan street, Yerevan − in especially large amount, worth AMD 233.470.000

In order to accomplish the stated theft, initially the abovementioned official, on 25 December 2008, ensured the process of reorganization of a kindergarten – Community Non-Profit Organization – and its merging with another kindergarten, based on an illegal decision of the Council of the Elders, with flagrant violation of the provisions and procedures of the applicable legislation and through committing an official forgery. After that, while holding the post of Mayor of Yerevan, on the 16^th of March 2009, in order to complete his criminal intent, by his decision he changed the functional profile of the territory with an area of 228.3 m² and included it in a non-housing stock as an area of public services. Then, the mentioned real estate was alienated for quite an unequal compensation - AMD 23.120.000 – and, on the 2^nd of February 2011, was registered in the name of the mentioned official's father through a purchase and sale agreement for AMD 24.000.000; after that, according to the certificate of inheritance, it was reregistered as a property of the son.

As a result of the incident, not only the local self-government bodies have been discredited and their normal functioning has been disrupted, but also the activities of a separate pre-school institution have been stopped, creating heavy consequences; the mentioned official stole – using his official position and through embezzlement – a real estate worth AMD 233.470.000 belonging to the Republic of Armenia.

The noted official has been involved as an accused in the criminal case initiated in the Investigation Department of the NSS of RA in connection with apparent incidents of crime; taking into account the fact that he left the territory of Armenia, he has been declared wanted, and arrest has been chosen by the court as a restrictive measure.

Preliminary investigation goes on; at the same time, data have been received on alienation and embezzlement of 27 real estates in the same way. Large-scale operative-search and investigative measures are being taken to find the accused, to detect all the persons involved in a corruption chain and to assess the actions under the criminal law correspondingly.

Note: The suspect or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent as long as his/her guilt is not proven in a manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA - by the court decision entered into legal force.