On 11 April, Judge Vardges Sargsyan presided over the hearing on the case of former Chief of Police Vladimir Gasparyan, his former Deputy Levon Yeranosyan, Head of the Police Internal Audit Department Vardan Tunyan and Commander of Police Unit Gurgen Grigoryan.
According to Iravaban.net , the Court sent summonses to appear for questioning to Samvel Ghukasyan, Armen Movsisyan, Armen Arakelyan, Khachik Badeyan and Marat Avetisyan, some of whom are not in the RA.
Samvel Ghukasyan was the first witness to be interrogated, attorney Hovsep Sargsyan was present at the Court session with him. He was brought to the Court through the mediation of Public Prosecutor Tigran Yenokyan.
Servicemen of the 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.
The Prosecutor asked the witness, from which year the latter started his career while being in a working relationship with Vladimir Gasparyan. The witness said that he work in the period of 1997-2011.
When asked what position the witness held in the mentioned military unit, he said that he was a deputy in charge of service.
– Did the special forces report officially to you about the condition of the military unit and the availability of personnel?
– I do not remember about the availability of staff, I did not serve directly.
– When did you become the Head of Military Police?
– From April 2012 to May-June 2017.
– Did they report to you as the Head of the Military Police that there were missing soldiers in the said military unit?
– No, they did not report.
– We interrogated military police servicemen in Court, and all of them stated that three servicemen, Armen Movsisyan, Nelson Saroyan, and Khachik Badeyan, never reported for service in that military unit. You were the Head of the Military Police from 2012-2017, during that time they also did not show up for service. Now you want to you, you were not aware that the 3 servicemen were absent for a long period of time?
– Yes, I was not aware, I do not know.
The Prosecutor asked the witness to present his signature on the paper. The signature of the witness was under the contract regarding military service, but the contract in the name of the Military Police was signed by Vladimir Gasparyan. The Prosecutor asked why it was so and the witness answered that Gasparyan was absent, and had allowed him to sign it.
The Prosecutor mentioned that Arshaluys Tarposhyan was interrogated in Court, the latter testified that he reported about those servicemen to Samvel Ghukasyan, who said that these servicemen were on operational duty: in addition, another person had reported to Ghukasyan about it as well.
The witness replied that both of them definitely has not reported to him, and if they would have reported, he would have taken appropriate measures immediately. Further the Judge conducted the questioning.
– How would you describe Vladimir Gasparyan, the Head of the Military Police Department and then the Head of Military Police?
– A very positive, professional person, who is in control of the situation and can orient himself very quickly in the most complex operational situation.
The Judge said that there is a document in the case file with the inscription “qualification” of “Private Badeyan Khachik Adibek”, the names of the members of the commission are mentioned in the document: Stepanyan, the First Deputy Head of the MP, the next witness was Deputy Head of the MP, Colonel, had signed that Khachik Badeyan meets to the position he held, and read the corresponding text, in which Badeyan was characterized only with positive features.
– Now I ask you, under the conditions that Khachik Badeyan did not appear, does not correspond to all this, did not serve in the mentioned military unit, why did you sign this document?
– I do not remember, because it was 10 years ago. I cannot answer.
The Judge also said that one of the mentioned persons, Nelson Saroyan, when interrogated in Court, said that he never participated in any commission, he did not take part in any examination, but it is stated in the documents that he was a disciplined, efficient and knowledgeable soldier during his service.
– Mr. Ghukasyan, I am asking a very direct question, with all due respect to you and others, namely, Hayk Stepanyan, Samvel Ghukasyan, Aram Ter-Sahakyan, Razmik Khanzadyan, Yura Gharibyan, Hovik Vardanyan, Vardan Nadaryan, were they so courageous that they could hide a person’s failure to show up for duty from the Head of the Military Police Vladimir Gasparyan?
– I cannot answer on behalf of others, I can’t say 100%, its life, everything may happen.
– Was it very realistic or less realistic?
– Less realistic.
Witnesses, Aram Ter-Sahakyan was questioned next. He mentioned that he knows Levon Yeranosyan and Vladimir Gasparyan, he was in working relations with them.
Prosecutor Tigran Yenkoyan asked what positions he held during his work, the witness answered that he was the head of the MP, then the Deputy Head for Operations of the MP.
– As the Operational Deputy, did the commander of the said military unit report to you on any issues?
– No.
– And was it part of your duties as the Operational Deputy to check whether there are staff absences or not, whether they perform the service properly?
– Of course.
– Do you know the servicemen Nelson Saroyan and Khachik Badeyan or not?
– No.
During the Prosecutor’s questioning, the witness constantly stated that he should answer the questions at the level of his assumptions, after which Judge Vardges Sargsyan said: “You do not understand the question of Public Prosecutor well, and I in my turn am confused on how you occupied the position of Head of the Military Police with that knowledge.”
– What rights and responsibilities did you have, as a Deputy in Charge of Operational Work of the MP, which was the daily working normative-legal act or the book on your table?
– Organization of operative-investigative work.
– Are you familiar with the RA Law “On Operative-Investigative Activity”, have you read it, are you familiar with it?
– Of course.
– When a person does not show up for duty for more than 3 days, is it a crime or not?
– At that time it was a crime.
– Even now it is a crime.
During the interrogation, the Judge said: “I am asking you a question, please answer my question, I have interrogated many operatives like you, I am well versed in the tactics of deflecting the question.”
– What kind of relationship did Vardan Nadaryan and Hovhannes Vardanyan have?
– I know Nadaryan, I don’t know the other one.
– There was an article in the mass media about cutting the pinkie and sending it to Vladimir Gasparyan, “leader”.
Witness, Armen Movsisyan, was questioned in the Court next .
– Did you serve in the RA Armed Forces?
– Yes, in 1999-2001.
– What did you do after finishing the service?
– I studied, after which I worked in the security system, in different places.
– Whose security did you provide?
– Alexander Sargsyan.
– When did you begin working?
– In 2013, 2014.
According to the witness, he also worked with Narek Sargsyan, but in 2008 he did not work anywhere. He mentioned that he gave up that job in 2016-2017 due to other problems. He was never awarded a medal, he mentioned that he worked together with Khachik Badeyan, he was Alexander Sargsyan’s driver.
The questioning of the witnesses ended, the Judge ordered that 2 more witnesses should be questioned at the next Court session, and watched the video presented by Prosecutor Tigran Yenokyan. Prosecutor Tigran Enokyan, and Gasparyan’s Defense Attorney Alexander Kochubaev will present their petitions.
The next Court hearing is on 17 April.
Mariam Shahnazaryan
