On 5 May, the Anti-Corruption Criminal Court presided over by Judge Tigran Davtyan, continued the court session in the case of the National Nero of Armenia, former Minister of Emergency Situations Affairs Andranik Piloyan and 12 other defendants.
It should be noted that in addition to Andranik Piloyan, Ashot Hakobyan, Vigen Mkrtchyan, Hrachya Yeremyan, Mihrdat Matevosyan, Artur Ohanyan, Ara Yaghjyan, Gor Hambardzumyan, Artak Beibutyan, Tatul Gevorgyan, Tigran Gasparyan, Gagik Poghosyan and Vigen Grigoryan (arrested) were also charged.
According to Iravaban.net, at the beginning of today’s court session, the judge announced that the day before the court received a letter regarding the transfer of Vigen Grigoryan to “Armenia” Medical Center and conducting relevant examinations. “I have sent a letter to the penitentiary so that the latter will be presented to the medical institution.”
After that the examination of the evidence continued in the court. Public prosecutor Koryun Serobyan read the transcripts of wiretapping and recordings of internal observations. One of them referred to the conversation in Piloyan’s office between Andranik Piloyan, MES employee Vigen Mkrtchyan and Vigen Grigoryan, a close person to the Minister,
Let’s remind that according to the materials of the case, Vigen Mkrtchyan, the head of one of the units of the Minister of Emergency Situations, learned from his acquaintance Artur Ohanyan about the latter’s intention to be appointed to the position of commander of one of the Ministry’s Rescue Service Detachments through giving bribe and in January 2022 informed Piloyan about that. Piloyan accepted the offer. After Artur Ohanyan was appointed to the relevant position, Vilen Mkrtchyan assisted Minister A. Piloyan receiving a bribe in the form of a gold bar from the mentioned person. The gold bar was found in Piloyan’s apartment.
The published recording refers to the alleged agreement reached, during which the amount of the alleged bribe is also discussed. Andranik Piloyan states that due to the lack of funds, he has to stop the construction of his house, Vigen Grigoryan asks him not to worry, saying that he will continue the construction work. The recording lasted about 22 minutes.
The next recorded conversation, transcripts of which were published by the prosecutor, took place between Andranik Piloyan and his advisor Ashot Hakobyan in the Minister’s office. According to the materials of the case, Hrachya Yeremyan, the head of one of the departments of the Ministry, using his official position, informed Andranik Piloyan, who held the position of the Minister of Emergency Situations, about his willingness to pay a bribe of 2,000 USD, equivalent to 960,000 AMD, in order to hire the relevant person in the Ministry. Andranik Piloyan agreed to accept the bribe in the form of a heating boiler and parts necessary for its operation. Yeremyan bought a Baxi Boiler worth about 644,000 AMD and necessary parts for its operation from one of the shops of the “Ideal System” Chain Stores. The discounted price of the boiler alone was around 341,000 AMD. Yeremyan kept all this in his garage in order to pass it on to Piloyan later.
After some time, Piloyan’s advisor Ashot Hakobyan started the process of moving and installing the heating boiler in the apartment purchased in the name of Andranik Piloyan’s son and daughter. During that time, Hakobyan learned that Hrachya Yeremyan has raised the price of the boiler and informed Piloyon about it, which caused the latter’s anger.
Andranik Piloyan. It’s normal. I’ve known him for a long time. First of all, let me tell you that I didn’t give him money, I didn’t ask him for anything.
Ashot Hakobyan. He himself told me everything.
Andranik Piloyan. I did not want anything from him. He simply came. That former head of the department asked me to appoint someone, I didn’t say how much he has gave. He himself said: he gave it to me, he said he gave this much or that much. I do not know why he said that. Don’t think that I didn’t know that he didn’t give so much.
Ashot Hakobyan. Now let me say something. Either I should not get involved in anything, or if I do get involved in something, as if I lose one of my family members.
Andranik Piloyan. Do you know what? I have nearly imagined, I roughly know what kind of person he is. It’s not like I don’t know. I can’t make comparisons, do you understand?
Ashot Hakobyan. I can’t sew any other way. A local stupid workshop produces that tubes. It is just like paper.
Andranik Piloyan. He said those are quality, the highest quality.
Ashot Hakobyan. Mr. Minister, this Baxi, I told him: Hrach, I have to tell whatever there is. He said: ‘500 thousand’ and I took Baxi from him. The chimney, I took a 22,000 worth aluminum dryer from him, which costs you 60,000 drams. 22,700 drams, then it was cheaper than now, because the cost of transportation of the product increased.
Andranik Piloyan. Well, now, played a trick on his own head.
Ashot Hakobyan. They made a 30 percent discount for 860 thousand, so he went.
Andranik Piloyan. Wait a minute, who paid for it?
Ashot Hakobyan. Gave so much money…
Andranik Piloyan. Has given so much money?
Ashot Hakobyan. Now look, Mr. Minister. The price of Baxi is 334 thousand, without discount. 30 percent discount, he said discount. The action took place in the summer. 334 thousand is the cost of the Baxi, 22,700 drams was the cost of the dryer and the chimney costs 16 thousand. 360 thousand dramas together. He counted 860 thousand drams on you. He told you 860 thousand drams, right?
Andranik Piloyan. Yes.
Ashot Hakobyan. From 860 thousand drams, I subtracted today’s prices that are available in the store. Without discount. He will bring and give you 400 thousand, 350 thousand, 500 thousand drams. 510 thousand drams. I take the Baxi, I take the dryer, and the 16 thousand is the cost of the chimney. I said, ‘you will give 300 thousand money to the minister’. He said these pipes are good. He said he gave the sections for 5000, and the cost 3300 drams in the store. I said: if you will go and return all.
Andranik Piloyan then told Ashot Hakobyan that he did not trust Hrachya Yeremyan. After that, Hakobyan said that he would tell Yeremyan to give Piloyan 500 thousand drams, but Piloyan said that he doesn’t need to tell. The Minister also said that he had solved a problem for Yeremyan, but he did meanness.
Both Hrachya Yeremyan and Andranik Piloyan claimed in court that the Baxi boilers were not a bribe, but that the latter bought them with the money given by Andranik Piloyan. When talking about the price difference, the defendant mentioned that he did not know that they were not Italian, but Chinese. In addition, the latter drew the photographed the prices and sent them to Andranik Piloyan via Telegram. “There could be a difference of 50-60 thousand, as far as I remember.”
For his honor, he decided to return the deficit to Piloyan.
Andranik Piloyan also made a statement in court.
“At that moment, I did not have money to finish the repair of my son’s house, I say take it, install the Baxi I bought in my son’s house. And when Ashot Hakobyan came, he reported to me that there was such a problem, that he had cheated, I do not know what… I say in conversation, that I trust people, trust is the most important thing for me, so that Ashot Hakobyan does not continue, and not demand the difference from Hrachya Yeremyan, I say I didn’t give money, but in fact I gave him the money. I tried to tell Ashot Hakobyan: “Stay aside, it is not your business.” I even said in that conversation that that was not his business, don’t continue,” Piloyan declared, adding that he even transferred half of the money to Hrachya Yeremyan through his driver.
Public prosecutor Koryun Serobyan noted that both the crime of giving and receiving bribes was justified. The prosecutor noted that the claim that Andranik Piloyan gave the money for the boilers is not supported by one of the parts of the conversation where Piloyan says that he did not give Yeremyan money.
The former minister claimed that he said this in order to “close the topic”.
The working day over and the session was adjourned. The court hearing will continue on 12 May.
Yevgenya Hambardzumyan
