4 Million Dram Bail Set for Megrit's Community Head

Charges have been brought against the head of the enlarged Megrit community for corruption. The Investigative Committee reports that a bail of 4 million Armenian drams has been set for him as a preventive measure.

On February 17, 2021, the prosecutor supervising the preliminary investigation of the criminal case at the Syunik Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee made a decision to involve the head of the Megrit community as a defendant. He is accused of abusing his official powers while holding the position of head of the Agarak community in Syunik since November 13, 2008, and then from September 24, 2016, in the position of head of the enlarged Megrit community.

Being endowed with the authority to prevent, suspend, and eliminate illegal land use in accordance with the law, it is alleged that he abused his office, contravening the interests of the service and failing to perform his duties.

According to the investigation, a resident of Agarak became the lessee of a 0.02 hectare agricultural land plot in Agarak community, acquiring it for a 25-year term with an annual rent of 18,000 drams, after winning a competition announced by the Agarak community administration on February 16, 2007. By a decision dated November 28, 2007, the head of the Agarak community permitted this resident to sublease the provided land to a third party.

On the same day, a sublease agreement was signed between the Agarak resident and a private company, allowing the latter to use the land for a monthly payment of 50,000 drams (600,000 drams annually), on which a mobile communication base station was illegally constructed.

The head of the enlarged Megrit community, aware that the sublease contract made with the private company significantly exceeded the rent payment due to the community, failed to unilaterally terminate the lease agreement with the citizen. Instead, on April 1, 2009, an agreement was signed in the name of the community with the Agarak resident, re-establishing the rent fee at 300,000 drams annually, instead of the previous 18,000 drams. Additionally, on July 27, 2011, he imposed a fine equal to one hundred times the minimum wage in Armenia for violating the obligation to utilize the land's designated purpose and operational use.

As a result, between November 13, 2008, and January 2021, the community's budget received only 3,657,500 drams instead of the expected 7,350,000 drams, leading to significant repercussions.

On February 18, 2021, the head of the enlarged Megrit community was charged under Article 308, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code (abuse of official powers). He denies the charges against him. The investigation is ongoing.