Criminal persecution against Hrayr Tovmasyan’s godson illegal: lawyer

In Armenia people were not persecuted for friendly ties from a very long ago, lawyer Tigran Atanesyan stated today at the press conference, referring to the criminal persecution against godson of CC chairman Norayr Panosyan.

“Norayr Panosyan was head of the Justice Ministry’s Legality Control Department from 2011-14. He has been charged with abuse of power which caused grave consequences,” Panosyan’s lawyer Tigran Atanesyan said, stressing that they are dealing with criminal persecution and arrest of definitely innocent person.

“You will not find any description in the accusation what Panosyan exactly has done wrong,” the lawyer said, adding that the case is related to the privatization of Number 1 notary office.

Atatnesyan said the mentioned territory was handed to Yerevan community as a property on the basis of 2009 government decision.

“The Yerevan municipality tried to sell the territory to the notaries working there but the latter demanded the territory for free. A trial took place and the court decided that the community is free to direct its territory and the notaries have no rights over that property. The notaries participated in the process,” the lawyer said, adding that afterward the municipality sold the territory via auction.

“The seller sold the territory after the year to Norayr Panosyan’s cousin,” Atanesyan said, adding that Panosyan’s cousin is a businessman and acquired the territory at rather high cost.

The lawyer stressed in 2009 when the territory was handed to the municipality Panosyan was not working in the ministry and during the final purchase he was not working there as well.

Atanesyan said the case has just one purpose to find out what relation Hrayr Tovmasyan has with that territory while no connection has been revealed.

“We will fight and show publicly the illegalities of the case,” he said.