NSS of Armenia presented details of the criminal case against Gagik  Tsarukyan

ArmInfo. The National Security Service of Armenia presented the details of the criminal case against the leader of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction and the party of the same name Gagik Tsarukyan.

According to the NSS press service, when comparing the sufficient  evidence obtained during the preliminary investigation in the  criminal case being investigated in the investigative department of  the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, a decision  was made on the fact of receiving bribes to attract the chairman of  the Prosperous Armenia party, the head of the Tsarukyan bloc Gagik  Tsarukyan as the accused. On the same day, the body carrying out the  proceedings, taking into account the factual data obtained in the  criminal case, submitted a motion to the court of general  jurisdiction of the city of Yerevan to apply the arrest against Gagik  Tsarukyan as a preventive measure, which was rejected by the court.  In order to consider the crime allegedly incriminated against Gagik  Tsarukyan, the preliminary investigation body submitted such facts to  the court that made it possible for the court to consider it  justified. In particular, as such data, the court referred to the  testimonies of 5 suspects involved in the case, as well as the  reports on the number of voters presented in the 2017 parliamentary  elections in the National Assembly and the amounts paid during the  search at Yerevan Stroy LLC. The reports contained clear notes on the  amounts paid for receiving one vote, the amounts paid to activists,  the certificate of transferring money to other persons on behalf of  Gagik Tsarukyan, which the objective observer could not cause any  various comments, which was confirmed by the court. At the same time,  the court stated that it was possible to prevent Gagik Tsarukyan's  inappropriate behavior during the criminal proceedings using another  preventive measure not related to imprisonment.  It is noteworthy  that at the initial stage of this criminal case, more than 80  searches were carried out, during which other evidence was also found  and seized in the apartments of members or activists of the  Prosperous Armenia Party, directly confirming the fact that voters  were given bribes in the targeted order in favor of the party bloc  "Tsarukyan" and the candidate nominated by him, signatures testifying  to the corresponding marks on the issue of bribes to each person in  the amount of 10 thousand drams. The evidence in the criminal case,  including the testimonies of other persons involved in the case as  defendants and several dozen witnesses, gives reason to argue that  the reports were drawn up by those who were directly involved in the  issue of providing voters with bribes in the targeted manner, after  which reports were submitted to the party's leadership. However, as a  result of the comprehensive search operations of the NSS, as well as  investigative and other procedural actions taken in parallel with  them, even after years, it became possible to disclose the details of  the Tsarukyan bloc's activities in the elections to the National  Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on April 2, 2017. Giving bribes  is clearly not limited to the fact that they were committed only on  the territory of the Gegharkunik region, in this direction all  necessary actions are currently ongoing. At the disposal of the  preliminary investigation body there are also materials at the time  of which it is obvious that the party's leadership at the duty  stations, barracks, personal data of specific military personnel were  revealed, lists of people expressing their willingness to receive a  bribe were compiled in advance. They were compared and verified both  in the previous election period and after the election. Hundreds of  millions of drams, consisting of banknotes of 10 thousand drams, and  many other facts, in connection with which active investigative  actions are also carried out, were withdrawn from commercial banks  during the pre-election period. "Given the wide public interest in  revealing the holistic picture of the crime committed, the National  Security Service of the Republic of Armenia expects to receive public  support and urges the citizens of the Republic of Armenia to  immediately notify the body conducting the proceedings if they have  any information about this case," the NSS statement said. .  Recall  that on June 15, 2020, a criminal case was opened in the NSS  Investigation Department on the grounds of clause 2 of article 308,  clause 2, 4 and 5 of clause 2 of article 149, part 2 of article 154.2  of the RA Criminal Code; large-scale investigative and procedural  actions and operational investigative measures are being taken. On  June 21, the court of general jurisdiction refused to satisfy the  NSS's motion to elect a preventive measure in the form of arrest in  respect of Tsarukyan.