On 12 February, the Anti-Corruption Court held the hearing on the case of the Ex-Chairman of the Urban Planning Committee, former Chief Architect of Stepanavan Vahagn Vermishyan referring to confiscation of property of alleged illicit origin.

According to Iravaban.net, at the beginning of the session, Naira Artashesyan, Prosecutor of the Department for Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin of the Prosecutor General’s Office presented written evidence related to the assessment of immovable properties subject to confiscation, which Judge Karapet Badalyan considered admissible.

Then, Vahagn Vermishyan’s representatives, Inga Sarafyan and Armen Melkumyan, submitted 4 motions to the court, one of which referred to the alleged inaccuracy in the real estate assessment report. The representatives of the respondents petitioned to interrogate the expert who presented the conclusion in court. The prosecutor stated that she is not against the petition. The court granted it.

The respondent’s next motion was to request evidence. Inga Sarafyan mentioned that in order to get information about Vahagn Vermishyan’s income, bank accounts, dividends and other financial means, they made inquiries to Russian state bodies, local governments, banks and other organizations through their partner in Russia.

However, the results of the inquiries were not provided due to the fact that they are tax secrets. “Tax authorities may transfer the requested information about the taxpayer to the judicial authorities in the pending case, based on a justified request.”

The lawyer asked the court to request relevant data from the Federal Tax Service of Russia in order to get accurate information about the funds received by Vahagn Vermishyan in Russia.

Karapet Badalyan tried to find out why the requests were not made on behalf of Vahagn Vermishyan.

Armen Melkumyan explained: The issue of issuing a power of attorney to a lawyer in Russia is now in the Criminal Court of Appeals, where Vermishyan’s case is being examined, and the next hearing in that criminal case is scheduled for 28 February. The court will make a decision on the motion in a separate judicial act.

Notably: during one of the previous sessions, the prosecutor noted that no international inquiries were made in this case, despite the fact that Vermishyan carried out his activities outside the borders of the Republic of Armenia, in different countries.

The 3rd petition referred to the admission and examination of the documents and electronic materials submitted by the respondent, to recognize them as relevant and admissible in order to prove the burden of proof imposed on the respondent.

“If the documents presented in the mentioned case become available in the Republic of Armenia and, if necessary, ensure their proper translation, they will be immediately presented to the court, therefore, in this regard, we ask for additional time to obtain the proper evidence regarding the respondents’ income, and after obtaining them, accept them as relevant and admissible evidence,” Inga Sarafyan said.

The party presented the following facts:

1. The Armenian translation of the information obtained as a result of the search made on the name of Vahagn Vermishyan, one of the respondents on the website rusprofile.ru.
2. Translation of the extract of available information regarding “Vek Proekt” LLC, founded with a 50 percent share of participation of Vahagn Vermishyan and operating from 17.10.2005 to 16.09.2021, available on rusprofile.ru.
3. Translation of the extract of available information regarding “Vek Construction” LLC, founded with a 50 percent share of participation of Vahagn Vermishyan and operating from 28.12.2005-28.05.2020, available on rusprofile.ru.
4. Armenian translation of the real estate lease agreement signed between one of the respondents Margarit Zohrab Vermishyan and Bashtaev Bek Said-Bekovich on 27.07.2016.
5. Lease agreement for a residential area signed on January 23, 2007, between Margarit Zohrab Vermishyan and Agborenko Egbe.
6. Armenian translation of the lease agreement for the residential area signed between Margarit Zohrabi Vermishyan and Lyudmila Vdovina on 31.05.2019.
7. Translation of the Real Estate Sales Agreement signed between Vahagn Vermishyan, and Zohrab Mardoyan, as sellers, and Galina Kuznetsova, as buyer, on 15 November, 2010.
8. Copies of the translation of the binding contract and its executive acts signed between “Vek Proekt” LLC and “Slovatsky Dom” LLC on 13.06.2006.
9. Translation of the reference issued by “Vek Proekt” LLC on 18.06.2010.
10. The extract from the register of legal entities regarding the “Vekevro” LLC, international architectural office” registered in the Republic of Slovenia.
11. The laser disc dedicated to one of the respondents, Vahagn Vermishyan, recorded from the YouTube page of “Shant” TV channel, containing the 09.10.2016 edition of the “Armenians of the World” program, as well as the 08.01.2018 edition of the “Meronk” program broadcast by the Pan-Armenian Geographical Association.
12. On 11.01.2024, the translation of the response of the Federal Tax Service of St. Petersburg, Russia No. 05-33/007555@ was received.
13. The petition sent on 28.12.2023 by the representatives of the responding party with an electronic signature to the RA Anti-Corruption Criminal Court of Appeal in criminal case No. ED/0083/01/21, with the attached power of attorney draft and a printout of the email certifying that it was sent to the RA Anti-Corruption Criminal Court of Appeal.
14. On 21.12.2023, the request for mutual assistance was addressed to Narine Aleksandr Kostanyants, lawyer of the RF “Colleagues” Collegium of Advocates, Non-Commercial Organization.
15. The Armenian translations of the requests sent by Narine Alexandr Kostanyants, lawyer of the RF “Colleagues” Collegium of Advocates, Non-Commercial Organization, to the Federal Tax Service of St. Petersburg, the Federal Tax Service of Russia, and the separate division No. 1 of the Federal Tax Service of the Oryol city of Oryol region of the Federal Tax Service.

The Presiding Judge allowed the documents submitted by the parties as written evidence.

The 4th and last petition referred to the appointment of an expert in the case, within the framework of which the respondent proposes to pose the following questions to the expert:

1. As of May 2023, at the time of filing the claim in the case, how much the average market value of the plot on Telman Street of city Stepanavan of Stepanavan Community of Lori Marz?
2. As of May 2023, at the time of filing the claim in the case, what was the average market value of land plot 2a Telman Street of city Stepanavan of Stepanavan Community of Lori Marz?
3. As of May 2023, at the time of the submission of the claim in the case, what was the market value of the plot of land of Agarak village, Lori Berd community, of Lori Marz?

The decision on the mentioned petition will be taken in the form of a separate judicial act. Thus, after the examination of the mentioned above motions, the session was adjourned.

Despite the accusations, the lawyers insist that Vahagn Vermishyan is innocent and expect the Court of Appeal to acquit him on all episodes.