Kocharian's House is Larger than the National Assembly Building, Keep Children Out of It: Vahegan Aleksanyan

“Please do not mention underage children every time: If there is any incident related to the children, let's discuss that instance separately. However, when you look at Robert Kocharian's house, it's larger than this National Assembly building. I apologize for suggesting that children might be in the same room with Kocharian; they are likely to be several kilometers away in that same house,” stated Vahegan Aleksanyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, during a press briefing with journalists. This was in response to a journalist’s comment regarding a search conducted at the home of opposition parliament member Levon Kocharian, where his three underage children were present.

Aleksanyan urged not to exploit the circumstance of children in these discussions: “I ask you every time, don’t bring up the children. All children are children, may God grant them health. All children should be protected from any negative effects, but what is the fault of the citizens of Armenia? People bought 8.3 hectares of land on Acharayan street in Yerevan for 44 million drams in 2004,” he remarked, citing a detail of the case. According to him, the 8.3 hectares in Avan has never been worth 44 million drams.

“I request that we do not offend the common sense of our citizens. What have the citizens of Armenia done to deserve being taken revenge upon for 10 years during their governance and another 10 years under Serzh Sargsyan? They are the ones who are taking revenge, and I still don't understand why. Well, Levon Kocharian, why didn’t you go and ask, ‘Dear Mr. Robert Kocharian, how comes that 8.3 hectares of land is sold in Yerevan for 44 million?’” said Aleksanyan.

He emphasized that all of this should receive an answer: “I express my dissatisfaction that all this is happening now and not earlier.” Earlier, it had been reported that factual data had been obtained in a criminal investigation by the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia regarding an individual who held the presidential office, who, with close associates and pre-arrangement, utilized their official position to appropriate state property at significantly lower market prices for various fictitious reasons.

According to one instance of the case, an 8.3-hectare plot of land adjoining Acharayan and Tsarav Aghbyur streets in Yerevan was acquired for 44,657,000 AMD, where the “Play City” entertainment center was constructed in 2002, and later, on November 15, 2004, 50 percent of the ownership of the property was transferred and registered in the name of the former president's son.