Tovmasyan and Manukyan on target. NSS reached out to former justice ministers

The National Security Service of RA, steadily carrying out the functions assigned to it by the law on combating crime and corruption aimed at the economic security of the Republic of Armenia, as a result of large-scale operational-investigative measures and investigative actions, revealed by a number of high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia in 2011-2015. a number of cases of apparently abusing official authority and aiding it, coupled with causing significant damage to the legitimate interests of the state and causing serious consequences.

In particular, factual data was obtained that according to the decisions of the RA government, one of the economic entities engaged in development works was allowed to carry out works of strengthening the foundations and foundation walls of real estate located in the Kentron administrative district of Yerevan, construction of three floors of the same building, as well as renovation of the “Abovyan” Penitentiary Institution of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs and Yerevan School No. 47, for a total of about 870 million AMD, in return for which the property of the developer, the Kentron administrative district. 925.65 square meters of the said real estate. meters, to hand over the share of the basement and first floor areas and plot, as well as 821 sq. meters with a total surface area of ​​5,000 m, with the condition of allowing the construction of a new 5th floor and an attic with a high roof.

Within the framework of the process, the responsible officials of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, based on personal interest and group interests, with the help of other persons, abusing their official powers, using the official position against the interests of the service, compiled and approved official false documents regarding the completion of the mentioned works, which were the basis for transferring the real estate defined by the government’s decision to the business entity, performing the state registration of ownership rights on December 23, 2014, as well as the building located at the same address. 5th floor and attic to grant permission to build.

In addition, during the implementation of the said construction works, in 2013, an employee of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia presented an illegal demand to the director of the construction company for providing building materials for the renovation of a house belonging to a relative of a high-ranking official. By complying with the submitted request, the mentioned person provided building materials worth AMD 480,000.

As a result of the mentioned activity, not only the normal functioning of the state body was disturbed, the fulfillment of the requirements of the government’s decisions was not ensured, but the immovable property belonging to the Republic of Armenia, with a particularly large value, was unlawfully expropriated, causing serious consequences.

In addition, in the period from April 2011 to April 2015, as a result of the abuse of their official powers by the officials of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia for the sake of group interests, the person occupying the position of driver in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, while continuing to perform the specified functions, was ordered to the positions provided for in the list of posts of a number of other divisions of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, failing to fulfill the corresponding duties, as a result of which significant damage was caused to the legal interests of the state and the driver was paid from the state budget. 1,841,000 AMD higher than the salary.

On October 21, 2019, a criminal case was initiated in the investigative department of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia regarding the revealed cases under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, and a preliminary investigation is being conducted.

It should be noted that in the years 2011-2015, which are mentioned in the NSS findings, the position of Minister of Justice was held by Hrayr Tovmasyan, he held the position until 2014. April 30 and Hovhannes Manukyan, who was appointed to that position on April 30, 2014 by the RA President’s decree and served until 2015. July 14.