The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has announced the completion of the preliminary investigation into the controversial criminal case of the illegal expropriation of the historical and cultural fortress “Black Fortress” in the city of Gyumri. The former Minister of Defense, the third President of the country, Serzh Sargsyan, is at the core of this proceeding.
According to the data obtained by the pre-investigative body, in May 2005, a high-ranking official, bypassing the relevant decisions of the government and the established procedure, alienated the historical structure by direct sale to a natural person. According to the contract of sale, the building with an area of more than 626 square meters and the plot of 0.7 hectares intended for its maintenance and use were sold for about 23 million AMD.
Law enforcement officers emphasize that the described actions caused significant damage to the legal interests of the state, carelessly leading to serious consequences. As a result of the transaction, the state was deprived of the ownership right to the exceptional value of republican significance, due to which the Black Fortress was left out of the official list of monuments that are considered state property and not subject to expropriation, approved in 2007.
A public criminal prosecution was initiated against the former minister under the article of abusing or usurping official or official powers. The criminal proceedings have already been presented with an indictment to the supervising prosecutor in order to ensure the further legal process.
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