Donation of Golden Palace hotel to the state mitigating circumstance: NSS director on ex official's criminal case

Golden Palace is an offshore company, NSS director Artur Vanetsyan said in Tsakhkadzor today, adding that it means it has been registered in offshore to hide the real owner, Vanetsyan said referring to the case with former head of Customs Committee Armen Avetisyan.

“The investigation revealed that the owners are Armen Avetisyan’s son and his mother,” after the measures undertaken by law enforcers Mr Avetisyan expressed readiness to donate the illegally acquired property to the state. Of course it is a mitigating circumstance, the investigation will be brought to the end, Mr Avetisyan has applied to the State Property Management Department, and the case will be terminated, but I do not know on what basis,” Vanetsyan said.

He added that the people who have caused economic harm to the state must be given an opportunity to restore the harm and not be convicted.

"If a person is jailed the harm is not being compensated. If a person has not committed a crime, has not killed a person jailing him gives nothing to us. My opinion is that if the legislation allows there is no need to jail people but give them opportunity to restore the harm,” he said.

As to whether the same logic may be applied in case of Alexander Sargsyan accused of money laundering and stating about readiness to return $30million to state, Vanetsyan said the issue will be decided in future.