Special Investigation Service initiated a criminal proceeding on the case of the former deputy head of police department in Charbakh. We get this information from the SIS spokesman Mikayel Aharonyan. He said that the criminal case was initiated under Article 182 of the Ciminal Code (extortion).
Vardan Ghukasyan was the person that hit and insulted “Hetq” electrinik journal journalist Ani Hovhannisyan at Northern Avenue in 2013. According to the RA Criminal Procedure Code, Article 197 (Preliminary Investigation Deadlines) part 2 Preliminary investigation of a criminal case must be over no later than in two months. This deadline is calculated from the day of initiation of the criminal case and is over when decision is made on forwarding the case to the court or dismissal of the case.
Under part 3 the time of familiarization with the materials by the defendant or his lawyer is not included into the case investigation deadline. If the defendant and his lawyer delay the familiarization with the criminal case on purpose and without good motives, the investigator can limit the familiarization deadline by his own decision.
Under Part 6, the investigator must submit the argumented decision on extension of the investigation period to the prosecutor, at least 3 days before the expiration of the investigation deadline.
According to the 1st part of Article 18 of the same Code, every person suspected in or charged with a criminal offense shall be presumed innocent unless proved guilty in the manner prescribed by this Code and unless the verdict comes into legal force.
