Person close to MP Aram Harutyunyan gives testimonies against him, ex minister to be arrested after January 14

Armenian National Assembly lawmaker Aram Harutyunyan, charged with taking big amount of bribe, will more probably be arrested in 2019, after January 14 when the National Assembly of 7th convocation will hold its first session and the NA of 6th convocation will be considered dissolved.

The NA session convened for discussion of the prosecutor general’s petition to deprive the MP of immunity and arrest him did not take place due to lack of quorum agreed with pre-election campaign.

According to the criminal case, the former nature protection minister demanded $14million from businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan for providing her licenses to carry out non-ferrous metal mining activity. The ex minister said the licenses would be provided with 5 year term but would be extended for another two to give her an opportunity to make necessary financial investments in the mines. Silva Hambardzumyan agreed to the proposal and expressed readiness to periodically sent money to Harutyunyan in parallel with the process of getting the licenses.

As a result of arrangement in January-November 2008, Hambardzumyan’s companies received 10 special licenses for mine examination.

In parallel with the processes, Hambardzumyan was passing the demanded money to Harutyunyan through his assistant.

The last part of cash payment – 400,000 USD was sent to Harutyunyan in late September as a result she acquired Hankaburg company with Gyoz-Gyozi gold mine license.

The other part of the demanded bribe 8 million USD Hambardzumyan gave to the ex minister via bank transfers.

According to the criminal case, Hambardzumyan sold 100% of shares of her company to an Arabic company in February 2008.

Name of Araks Dilanyan, a UAE-based Armenian, is being circulated in the case. She provided her bank accounts for Aram Harutyunyan to get the money. The ex minister received the sums through his acquaintances – A. Khachatryan, V. Martirosyan and G. Karapetyan. The three are being accused of assistance in getting big amount of bribe.

The investigation has proved that the lawmaker demanded and received in a mediated way a big amount of bribe then legalized the big property received in a criminal way – that is – ensured bank transfers on behalf of different people to hide the criminal source of the sum.

A. Khachatryan gave testimonies saying that with the instruction of Harutyunyan he left for Dubai in 2008 opened a bank account and provided the necessary documents to Harutyunyan after arriving back. Khachatryan said that in 2009 he left for Dubai again and withdrew from bank account $250,000, bought construction equipment, brought to Armenia and registered on behalf of company belonging to Harutyunyan.

The criminal case also contains documents seized from the Nature Protection Ministry.

The Armenian law enforcers have also received documents from the United Arab Emirates proving that in 2008 their customer  Arax Dilanyan received $8million on her bank account and on the same day transferred them to three individuals registered in Abu Dhabi N1 bank – Khachatryan, Soghomonyan and Karapetyan.

The General Prosecutor’s Office has claimed it has enough grounds to charge Harutyunyan and arrest him.