In accordance with Articles 100 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and 44 of the Constitutional Law the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, at the initiative of the deputies of the National Assembly, an extraordinary session of the National Assembly was convened by the NA President’s decision with the agenda set by the initiator on July 4.
The issue of Giving consent to the initiation of criminal prosecution against the NA deputy Seyran Ohanyan was debated.
The NA opposition factions Armenia and With Honor announced that they will not take in the debate of the issue, taking into consideration the fact that the Head of the Armenia Faction Seyran Ohanyan due to health problems, cannot participate in the debate of the issue.
The NA President Alen Simonyan clarified that until this moment he did not receive any documents regarding Seyran Ohanyan’s health condition, therefore his absence cannot be considered respectful. Afterwards, the NA President informed that only one document was received, which informs that the deputy cannot take part in the NA sitting on July 1, as from June 27, he receives treatment in the rehabilitation centre.
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The RA Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan submitted a petition for consent to initiate public criminal prosecution against Seyran Ohanyan.
The Prosecutor General reported that the preliminary investigation conducted by the Military Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee in 2017 under the criminal proceedings initiated by it obtained factual information that the 10,526 square meter land plot located at 71, 1st Street, Drakhtik community of Gegharkunik region, which is included in the territory of the Sevan National Park SNCO, and is a state property, was seized and in 2010-2015, a private house was built on the said land plot by a person who had the obligation to submit a declaration without the right to build. On December 12, 2016, as a result of the competition held by the Interdepartmental Competition Commission, Yerevan resident Beniamin Ghalechyan was recognized as the sole winner, to whom the said land plot was provided with the right to lease and build for a period of 25 years, with an investment of 250,000,000 drams over 2 years as a recreation area. to build.
The preliminary investigation also revealed that the 10,526 square meter land plot located at the above-mentioned address, which is a state property and is included in the territory of the Sevan National Park SNCO, and the private house built on it illegally have been in actual possession of the person who is obliged to submit a declaration since 2010.
Anna Vardapetyan added that, in accordance with the proposal submitted by the supervising prosecutor, the investigation has obtained sufficient facts that provide grounds for instituting public criminal prosecution against Seyran Ohanyan, a deputy of the eighth convocation of the National Assembly, under a number of articles of the Criminal Code adopted on April 18, 2003, for the fact that, from April 14, 2008 to September 9, 2016, while holding the position of Minister of Defense, he seized, without legal grounds, a 10,526 square meter land plot located at 71, 1st Street, Drakhtik community of Gegharkunik region, which is a specially protected nature area, included in the territory of the Sevan National Park SNCO, and is a state property.
Then, the Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan presented the other parts of the petition and answered the deputies’ questions.
Anna Vardapetyan clarified that Seyran Ohanyan, in his testimony as a witness, stated that he does not have a summer house, but that is regularly used by him. He organizes his and his guests’ rest in that summer house once a year. He carried out construction, improvement, and renovation works there with his own funds, which were helped by his relatives and friends, whose details he did not disclose, considering it inappropriate. He noted that he paid for the works from his savings.
Seyran Ohanyan refused to answer the question of who owns the summer house and on what basis it was provided to him.
In the context of the petition, NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan gave a speech. The NA Vice President, in particular, referred to the petition, as well as the walkout of the opposition from the hall.
“The systemic corruption from which we were saved in 2018 as a result of the velvet, non-violent revolution carried out by the people is the guarantee that we can build, want to build and have sufficient will to build the Republic of Armenia, where the citizen will feel like living in a fair system, happy, and will feel like the owner of his country. And that is why these people are trying to direct their bullets and revolvers against the people and the legitimate power,” he said in particular, adding that this will not be allowed.
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