Former Minister Vahan Kerobyan Arrested; IC Provides Details

Former RA Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan has been arrested; his brother Avetik Kerobyan had informed earlier.

For details, Radar Armenia contacted the RA Investigative Committee, from where they reported:

"As a result of large-scale investigative actions carried out during the preliminary investigation of a criminal proceeding initiated in the General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee, a corruption case committed by a criminal organization in 2008-2014 has been uncovered.

Specifically, during the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that H.M., the owner of a wine and brandy factory, having close relations with the former head of the territorial subdivision of the Cadastre Committee staff, as well as with G.A., the actual owner of several companies, created and led a criminal organization with the aim of fraudulently embezzling particularly large sums of money and committing money laundering by illegally removing 40 ha, 19.3 ha, and 14.5 ha land plots located in Yerevan city from the property fund of the Yerevan community using forged documents and registering them in the names of individuals and legal entities affiliated with H.M.

The members of the criminal organization, through their affiliated companies, pledged the said real estate in various commercial banks at different times, receiving loans of 10 million USD and more.

Subsequently, the former head of the territorial subdivision of the Cadastre Committee staff, by abusing his official powers, committing official forgery and fraud, ensured the provision of false certificates of ownership for a number of land plots belonging to the Yerevan community to the other leaders and members of the criminal organization for the purpose of money laundering by the said persons through a series of sham civil-legal transactions.

In their turn, the members of the criminal organization, realizing that the above-mentioned land plots were acquired as a result of a number of crimes and had a criminal origin, in fulfillment of the instructions given by the leaders of the criminal organization, proceeded to achieve the ultimate goal of the criminal organization.

As a result of procedural and evidentiary actions carried out during the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding, the circle of persons involved in the criminal organization has been revealed. More than a dozen searches have been conducted in the apartments of the latter, during which items of significance for the criminal proceeding have been found.

Public criminal prosecution has been initiated against 6 persons under Article 319, Part 1 (participation in a criminal organization) and Article 296, Part 3, Point 3 (money laundering in particularly large amounts) of the Criminal Code, against 4 persons under Article 319, Part 1 (participation in a criminal organization), Article 296, Part 3, Point 3 (money laundering in particularly large amounts), and Article 457, Part 1 (forgery of documents, stamps, seals, forms or selling, preparing or using forged documents, stamps, seals, forms), against 1 person under Article 318, Part 1 (creation or leadership of a criminal organization), Article 255, Part 3, Point 3 (fraud in particularly large amounts), Article 296, Part 3, Point 3 (money laundering in particularly large amounts), and Article 457, Part 1 (forgery of documents, stamps, seals, forms or selling, preparing or using forged documents, stamps, seals, forms), against 1 person under Article 318, Part 1 (creation or leadership of a criminal organization), Article 255, Part 3, Point 3 (fraud in particularly large amounts), Article 296, Part 3, Point 3 (money laundering in particularly large amounts), Article 441, Part 2, Point 2 (abuse of power or official authority or exceeding authority by an official), and Article 445, Part 1 (official forgery), and against 1 person under Article 318, Part 1 (creation or leadership of a criminal organization), Article 255, Part 3, Point 3 (fraud in particularly large amounts), and Article 296, Part 3, Point 3 (money laundering in particularly large amounts).

A decision to arrest has been made regarding 12 persons.

7 persons have been arrested.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding is ongoing."