Armenian Parliament approves criminal case against former ministers

The Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Alen Simonyan, has granted consent for criminal prosecution against Seyran Ohanyan, head of the “Hayastan” parliamentary faction, and Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan. 

The decision follows a formal request submitted by Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

The petitions to initiate the proceedings were officially sent to the National Assembly earlier. The request was confirmed by Movses Arutyunyan, press secretary to the Speaker of Parliament.

The charges against Ohanyan relate to the illegal appropriation of a 10,500-square-metre plot of land in the Drakhtik community of the Gegharkunik region between 2010 and 2015. This land belonged to the Sevan National Park. During his tenure as Minister of Defence, Ohanyan allegedly seized the territory and constructed a mansion financed by state funds without proper authorisation.

Meanwhile, Artsvik Minasyan, who served as Minister of Nature Protection from 2016 to 2018, is accused of abusing his official powers. According to the investigation, Minasyan failed to take legal measures against Ohanyan’s unlawful actions. Moreover, in an effort to conceal the crime, Minasyan reportedly issued construction permits to individuals connected to Ohanyan, falsifying documents to facilitate the approval.

By Vugar Khalilov