Armenian Judicial Department’s former head arrested

Misak Martirosian, former head of Judicial Department of the Republic of Armenia state institution, has been arrested.

ccording to reliable information of PastInfo news agency, the court granted the instigator’s petition to place Martirosian under two months’ arrest as a measure of restraint against him.

He is charged with taking a bribe of a particularly large amount and is also investigated in connection with the case of wage misappropriation in the system.

As PastInfo reported earlier, in September 2013 the Judicial Department’s head Misak Martirosian was charged with accepting a bribe of a particularly large amount. The head of the Judicial Department’s personnel division Angin Isakhanian acted as a mediator. She was dismissed from her job in July 2013. Recognizance not to leave was chosen as a measure of restraint against Misak Martirosian in this connection. Let us remind you that on September 26 the investigator took a decision to suspend Martirosian’s powers. At the September 27 sitting, the Council of Court Chairmen of Armenia decided to relieve Misak Martirosian of his position.

The second criminal case is related to salary misappropriation in the system of court bailiffs. Charges were brought against the head of the Service of Court Bailiffs Armen Movsisian and his deputy Gagik Khachatrian, while another deputy head, Gegham Grigorian, is wanted by police.

Arrest as a measure of restrain was previously used against Gagik Khachatrian as well, but on the day of Armen Movsisian’s arrest he was released on bond.

Cases of salary misappropriation were revealed in the system of court bailiffs. The case may become the second high-profile one after the case of embezzlement in social security sphere. It was found that several dozen people were registered, but they didn’t come to work, while their bosses received their salaries.

Abuses were committed in units of general jurisdiction courts in various administrative districts of Yerevan, up to the central body of the Service of Court Bailiffs. Charges have been brought also against heads of units the Service. The number of those accused amounts to about 20.