Charges Filed Against Kasakh Community Leader

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated extensive investigative and procedural actions regarding the case of committing fraud on a particularly large scale by abusing official powers within the Nairi Investigation Division of the Kotayk Region.

It has been established that the leader of the Kasakh community, aware of the illegally constructed building in the community, failed to apply the administrative penalties provided by the legislation on administrative violations.

A new criminal case was opened on June 18, 2020, based on Article 315.2 of the RA Criminal Code (illegal seizure of state or community-owned land plots, as well as failure to take legally prescribed measures to suspend or prevent unauthorized construction). During the investigation, it was revealed that a resident of the Kasakh community constructed a building at 8 R. Safaryan Street in 1993, and that it contained an illegal 17 square meter section which, before reaching final completion, was sold in 2012 under a sale contract to another resident of the same community.

Subsequently, her son, who effectively controls the said property, orally appealed to the community leader in 2015 to continue and complete the construction of the illegally constructed 17 square meter area at 8 R. Safaryan Street, to which the community leader verbally agreed and failed to carry out his authorities stipulated by the RA Law on Local Self-Government, namely, he did not prevent and suspend the ongoing construction of the unauthorized structure, resulting in the illegal construction being completed by the end of 2015.

Upon learning in 2020 that a criminal case was underway regarding the aforementioned apparent crime, the community leader attempted to circumvent his previous illegality and only on June 2, 2020, made a decision to subject the community resident to administrative liability.

Based on the gathered sufficient evidence, charges have been filed against the Kasakh community leader under Article 315.2 of the RA Criminal Code. A signature not to leave has been chosen as a procedural measure against him. The investigation is ongoing.