“It is the internal environment of safety and justice that will create conditions for the development and progress of the country,” Hayrapet Hayrapetyan, Head of the Investigative Division of Avan and Nor Nork Administrative Districts of Yerevan City, said within the framework of “Investigator Presents” series of interviews of Iravaban.net.

The “Investigator Presents” series is carried out in 2024 as part of the 10th anniversary of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

– Mr. Hayrapetyan, the year 2023 was unprecedented for the RA Investigative Committee both in terms of the volume of initiated criminal proceedings and the size of the recovery of damage caused to the state. Do you consider this result also an achievement of your department? In general, as a leader, were you satisfied with the work of the division last year?

– First, let me express my gratitude for the provided opportunity, which is a way to present the work of the RA Investigative Committee in a unique manner.

It is true that the RA Investigative Committee has done and is doing tremendous work in the direction of reducing the unprecedented overload caused by the legislative changes that came into force in 2022, as well as restoring the damages caused to the state and the community, legal entities and individuals. These are among our main priorities: aimed to increase the efficiency of work first and in terms of the further development of our state, restoration of social justice. And our division, as a part of the Investigative Committee, made its modest contribution to it.

– How many of the proceedings initiated in your division in the first quarter of 2024 were completed and with what outcome? Which of them can you note in terms of complexity and broad public interest? 

 – First of all, I should mention that during the year 2023, a total of 2384 criminal proceedings were initiated and received in our department. 260 ended with an indictment, the proceedings of 596 were terminated on various grounds provided by the criminal procedure law.

As for 2024, in the 1st quarter, 537 criminal proceedings were initiated and received, 45 of which ended with an indictment; 102 proceedings were terminated. In other words, the intensive work continues this year with clear observance of trial deadlines, especially in connection with completing the preliminary investigation with indictments. From our results in 2024, I can note the cases of murder, attempted murder, and robbery which were sent to the court with an indictment. One of the cases of robbery was committed by minors against Indian employees of Yandex service. The case of apparently inflicting severe physical pain and mental suffering on minor students by the director and a female employee at the Aladdin Kids Club kindergarten: 3 episodes.

Perhaps it is worth mentioning two separate proceedings, by which it was possible to achieve recovery of significant damages caused to the state or the community. In particular, as a result of the investigation of the criminal proceedings regarding the apparent embezzlement from the rents paid by the citizens for the garages, we managed to recover 9 million drams for the full recovery of the damage. In the other criminal proceedings, which was related to the falsification of documents, with the prior consent of the employees at the “Republican Speleotherapeutic Center” CJSC, committing a particularly large-scale fraud, by which 4,5 million AMD damage was recovered.

-Would you please tell, what kind of crimes are the main proceedings in Avan and Nor Nork administrative regions? In general, are there differences in the nature and types of crimes between the administrative regions of the capital?

– Recently, the cases of illegal drug trafficking began to dominate. For example, if 57 criminal proceedings were initiated in our department in 2022, in 2023 there were 402, and in the 1st quarter of 2024 – already 77. Although it may seem little in numerical terms, in general, there has been an increase. The number of crimes against human life and health is also worrying. In this regard, I do not think that there can be significant differences between the capital’s administrative regions. All of them face almost identical challenges today. Since I have noted illegal drug trafficking in particular, I consider it important to work on the prevention of the mentioned crimes, especially among minors, because most of them do not even realize that they are becoming part of the crime chain, in addition to the catastrophic impact of drugs on teenagers. Having this in mind, the Investigative Committee is trying to have its contribution, in particular, within the framework of the “Investigator conducts the lesson” program, we visit educational institutions, explain to minors which actions are criminal, what to avoid and how to avoid them. This is the duty of all of us.

– This year, the Investigative Committee is celebrating its 10th anniversary. You have been carrying out investigative and professional activities since 2010, during the last 14 years in a row, that is, you directly influenced the creation of the Investigative Committee. Can you recall how the transitional moment of the formation of the Investigative Committee was perceived by you and your colleagues, what expectations and fears you had and to what extent do you consider them justified today?

-Creation of a separate, independent unified investigative body was, of course, an imperative of the time, in terms of getting out of departmental subordination and guaranteeing the independence of the preliminary investigation. However, since in fact a new system was being formed, the working investigators, I can say from my example, were surrounded by more uncertainties. Eventually, the overarching problem of establishing a new system and putting normal work on the rails was weighing on all of us. Now it is already visible to everyone that the Committee is in the process of development and what a key role it has assumed in the law enforcement system and in terms of ensuring legality and legal order in the country. And I am glad that I was a part of it with my senior and junior colleagues. All expectations were mostly justified; general work principles and values ​​were formed, investigators are provided with all the necessary material and technical means to perform their work in the best way, their social guarantees have been significantly improved. Taking this opportunity, I would like to heartily congratulate my colleagues on the 10th anniversary of our system.

– What difficulties did you face in 2014 during the formation of the Committee, which may be strange to young investigators today?

– As I have mentioned, the difficulties were related to the investigator’s working conditions, inadequacy, and low social guarantees, which today have been reduced to a minimum. Today, a different task is set: to strengthen the professional and technical abilities of investigators in order to detect crimes and prosecute criminals. It is impossible not to notice this evolution. The current difficulties are mostly related to the workload, which we are trying to overcome by using the methodology of teamwork. However, the requirements and challenges, of course, remain the same: to conduct an efficient and quality investigation, ensuring both the interest of justice and the protection of the rights and legal interests of the participants of trial.

– You are 34. What motivated you to devote almost half of your life to the law enforcement system and to continue serving today?

– First of all, I loved the profession of a lawyer; I loved wearing a uniform, in the past I always treated people wearing a uniform with respect, considering that they are people performing a mission in the homeland. Secondly, I had a great desire to serve the state, which, of course, was an aspiration formed with a slightly more mature age. Even now, I continue to be motivated by those aspirations, because it is the internal environment of safety and justice that will create conditions for the country’s development and progress. I am glad that it was not all self-deception. With the same enthusiasm, I continue my work in uniform to uphold its honor and the conviction of the likeminded.

– Currently you continue studies at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia. First of all, how do you manage in the conditions of such workload of investigators and what motivates you to get education again in the context of professional development?   

– For me, it is a principle to engage in education and self-development parallel with work. At a young age, every effort should be made both to perform quality work and to constantly develop knowledge. Later there may not be such opportunity. And if you want to be educated, I assure you, you will always find time for education. Frankly speaking I enjoy it.

– As a leader, in terms of ensuring the efficiency and functionality of the division, what do you consider to be the most important and primary in teamwork?   

– I attach the greatest importance to the friendly relations between the staff members at a high level, the compassion towards each other, common work, results, and problems. When this is combined with state thinking, there is bound to be a result. I have mentioned many times in working meetings that we are a cell of a whole organism, RA Investigative Committee, and the Committee is one of the parts of a larger state organism. And if one of the cells does not work well, it is sick, and then the whole body is sick.

– Are there special tools, structures, with which you fight in the division to avoid making work discipline and gross procedural mistakes?

– Of course, gross procedural errors, disciplinary violations imply specific legal and disciplinary consequences, and there is definitely intolerance towards them. The problem is not to bring the situation to that, to prevent it. Of course, it is not always possible. But I do not consider informal relations within the team to be less important either. Personnel management mechanisms, in line with the new requirements of the time, are certainly being improved and we should always take the best experience corresponding to our mentality. But there are also fixed values ​​and principles in informal relationships. The first is the fair, merit-based treatment of employees. And also the individual approach according to the nature of your partner.

– Based on your work practice, do you think that in terms of motivating the employee, in this case the investigators, is it more effective to make reprimand, warnings or take disciplinary measures, and/or encouragement? 

– I think both have their positive effect, but they can also lead to the opposite result. It is necessary to know clearly whether the best way to promote discipline and efficiency in an employee in a specific situation is encouragement or reprimand or warning.

There are investigators who make conclusions base on warnings and/or reprimands, become more alert and watchful, increase the efficiency of their work. In the case of encouragement, it seems that it always has a positive effect. However the internal perception of other partners should also be taken into account, because the unfair or continued encouragement of one may leave a residue of injustice in others, which cannot but be demotivating.

– – What are your main goals and those of the division for 2024?

– You know, this is the system where the goals are clear and mostly unchanged: to increase the quality of the preliminary investigation and to do everything in the direction of developing the capabilities of counteraction to the criminal mechanisms that are constantly perfected by the criminals. I can also add to these ensuring the inevitability of the responsibility of guilty persons, reducing the proceedings, restoring the damages caused to the state and the community.

This initiative, implemented in cooperation with the RA Investigative Committee and the Iravaban.net website, aims to properly present to the public the main directions of the work carried out by the preliminary investigation body, to reflect on the peculiarities of pre-trial proceedings and other issues of public importance.