Photo: Police.am
On 28 March, prosecutor Tigran Yenokyan, presented in the Anti-Corruption Court the indictments against former Head of Police Vladimir Gasparyan, his former deputy Levon Yeranosyan, Head of the Internal Audit Department of the Police Vardan Tunyan, and Commander of Police Unit Gurgen Grigoryan.
According to Iravaban.net, at the beginning of the court session, Alexander Kochubaev, the lawyer of Vladimir Gasparyan, submitted a motion to the court asking to conduct the sessions behind closed doors. According to him, the mass media did not observe the court’s decision regarding video and photo shooting, they videotaped Vladimir Gasparyan. During the previous sessions, all 4 defendants did not want to be videotaped, the court granted their request.
According to Kochubaev, the motion to hold the hearings behind closed doors is mainly related to the health condition of his client.
“The problem is that crises happen every moment, and I don’t want those moments to be recorded. After the sessions, this becomes a subject of discussion on “Facebook” that he got worse, how it happened… It seems that Gasparyan was afraid of something and became worse. I don’t want it to become a subject of discussion. It is related to my health, I have children. I don’t want society to see me sick. I’m a little limb, my blood pressure is rising,” the former Head of Police said.
The other defendants in the case joined the motion submitted by Kochubaev.
It should be noted that according to the Criminal Procedure Code, in order to protect the private lives of the participants in the proceedings, the interests of minors, or the interests of justice, as well as state security, public order, or morals, the court, at the request of a party or on its own initiative, has the right to hold a court session or a part of it behind closed doors in the cases provided for by the Code. The presiding Judge Vardges Sargsyan rejected the petition on the mentioned basis. “The court finds that the session cannot be held behind closed doors, because issues related to private life, honor and dignity are not discussed. As for the fact that, according to Mr. Kochubaev, the mass media continue to include the defendants, including Gasparyan, in their frames, the court again demands the mass media to respect the rights of the defendants.
Then the prosecutor published the indictments on the defendants.
The indictment regarding Vladimir Gasparyan
It is noted that from 1997 to 2010, the latter held the position of the Head of the Military Police Department of the Ministry of Defense, and in 2010-2011, the position of the Deputy Minister of Defense and was responsible for the financial, social-legal, and household support of the subunit of the military unit entrusted to him.
Tigran Yenokya
“Servicemen of the N military unit Khachik Badeyan (since 2001), Nelson Saroyan (since 2004), Arman Movsisyan (since 2009) being assigned to the position of military policeman of the Military Police of the Ministry of Defense, having the rank of non-commissioned officer, have not appeared for military service since the day of their appointment. Instead, they performed work that did not issue from the status of a soldier. Nelson Saroyan worked as the driver of Lyova Sargsyan, the brother of the 3rd President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan. Khachik Badeyan and Arman Movsisyan were Alexander Sargsyan’s bodyguards…Vladimir Gasparyan gave instructions regarding these persons not showing up for service and not fulfilling their duties,” Tigran Ynokyan said.
According to the case materials, while occupying the position of Deputy Minister, the defendant extended the term Nelson Saroyan’s “military service”. “Accordingly, he also made a large amount of waste, that is, in the amount of 21 million 691 thousand AMD.”
It is also noted that from 1 November, 2011 to 10 May, 2018, while holding the position of the Head of Police, he purchased an apartment on Griboyedov Street and sold for 15 million drams, which was allocated to Rafik Zakaryan, the Head of the General Department for Combatting Crimes of the Police, who did not need an apartment.: “The property damage of 15 million AMD was caused to the state.”
In July 2017, another apartment was purchased in Etchmiadzin for 10 million AMD. Which also was given to a police officer who did not need an apartment and who presented his housing conditions as worsened. “Gasparyan’s performance of the described act of abusing official authority resulted in serious consequences due to carelessness. 10 million AMD of property damage was caused to the state.
It is noted that the defendant, through the head of the economic department of the police, Razmik Khanzradian, instructed the head of the Educational Complex of the Police, Hovhannes Varyan, to make an addition to the plan for the purchase of the educational complex in terms of acquiring property worth 10 million AMD. Varyan informed Khanzradian that a written order was needed to perform such an action. A written order was received, on the basis of which Varyan made an addition to the procurement plan. An apartment was bought in Nerkin Shengavit for 10 million AMD. Gasparyan took the aforementioned apartment to the balance of the police, and then handed it over to non-commissioned officer Knarik Sasunyan, who was appointed to the position of musician in the military unit of the special police battalion 6 days ago, and who never showed up for duty, but provided production services to Gasparyan’s daughter.”
According to the prosecutor, Gasparyan is also charged with the crime of “especially large embezzlement.”
The indictment regarding Levon Yeranosyan
From April 2012 to 8 May, 2018, the defendant held the position of the Commander of Police Forces, Deputy Head of Police. According to the accusation, the latter in 2015-2018 committed particularly large-scale waste, and official forgery.
It is noted that in 2015, Gasparyan appointed his daughter Yulia Gasparyan to the post of senior officer of the Operational Department of the Headquarters of the Police Forces, but the latter never showed up for service. Moreover, she was absent from the Republic of Armenia without reports and orders. During the mentioned 3 years, Yeranosyan not only did not take preventive measures, but with the help of Gegham Hovhannisyan, the Head of the Financial Department of the Police, Yulia Gasparyan was paid a monthly salary. According to the general calculation of vacations, bonuses and salaries, about 8 million 838 thousand AMD were paid to the daughter of the Head of Police.
In addition, Yeranosyan was well aware that Yulia Gasparyan could not be awarded the military rank of lieutenant colonel if she remained in the position of senior officer of the Operational Department of the Headquarters of the Police Forces, and in 2018 instructed to organize the process of appointing Yulia Gasparyan to a higher position.
According to the prosecutor, fake documents were prepared, “Yulia Gasparyan, who did not appear for service and did not fulfill her official duties, was presented as a soldier who was knowledgeable and conscientious in her service, showed discipline, performed her duties in a proper manner, did not avoid difficulties, and performed the tasks given by the command on time and with quality..
On 16 March, 2018, Yeranosyan presented her for the military rank of lieutenant colonel on the basis of the aforementioned fake documents.
According to prosecutor Tigran Yenokyan, on the next day Vladimir Gasparyan awarded Yulia Gasparyan the military rank of lieutenant colonel, after which, the daughter of the Head of Police was returned to her previous position 2 days later,.
The indictment regarding Vardan Tunyan
According to the case materials, the Head of the Internal Audit Department of the Police, Vardan Tunyan, asked Yeranosyan to accept his acquaintance Vahram Nazaryan to serve in the police forces. The mentioned person was hired, but did not show up for duty. Instead, he performed the duties of Tunyan’s driver. In this case, the state suffered a particularly large loss in the amount of 7 million 954 thousand AMD, as a result of which, through negligence, serious consequences were caused.
In addition, in 2014-2018, Tunyan instructed Artur Shahnazaryan, who served as a junior inspector of the economic department of the police, not to appear at work due to his personal interest in providing transportation services to his family members at the expense of state funds. “He ordered to transport his family to different places several times during the week.”
Artur Shahnazaryan received 3 million 750 thousand AMD corresponding to the rate of his position. In addition, Tunyan handed over 360 liters of gasoline to employees of the Internal Audit Department out of 7805 liters of gasoline entrusted to him for travel to the region. And he stole 7445 liters of gasoline in the amount of 2 million 762 thousand AMD by embezzlement.
The indictment regarding Gurgen Grigoryan
Prosecutor Tigran Yenokyan stated in court that Gurgen Grigoryan assisted Levon Yeranosyan in abusing his official powers, which led to grave consequences, by releasing Vahram Nazaryan from the obligation to show at work in the military unit. As mentioned earlier, Nazaryan actually became Vardan Tunyan’s driver.
Gurgen Grigoryan did not submit a report on the incident. Moreover, with his signature, he approved the payrolls of the officers, which included the data of Vahram Ghazaryan as well.
All 4 defendants did not admit their guilt. The judge addressed one of the defendants, Vladimir Gasparyan. “You are charged with 2 counts of particularly large-scale waste, as well as 2 counts of abuse of office. The Court invites you to state your position on the charges. You are not required to answer the question, the court will not interpret it against you.”
Vladimir Gasparyan stated that he considers the statements made in court against his daughter obscene. “It is obscene to manipulate with this to give flesh and blood. I am offended to the extent that…”
Levon Yeranosyan also stated that he does not accept the accusation. “I will clarify in the process.”
The court then established the procedure for examining the evidence. Written documents on the case will be examined, after which the witnesses will be interrogated, and, if desired, the defendants will be interrogated as well.
Yevgenya Hambardzumyan
