EcoLur
Martuni Department of Gegharkunik Regional Department of RA Police refused to initiate a criminal case on the issue of Astghadzor water based on the application filed by Public Environmental Court. The application is based on the verdict of the Public Environmental Court, according to which the damage to the ecosystem of the Astghadzor River, the impact on Lake Sevan and the difficult social situation created by it have been recognized as an ecological crime. The verdict was sent to RA Government and RA Prosecutor's Office, which, in its turn, sent the application to Martuni Police Department.
"The police did not take into account, did not study the numerous violations and evidence presented in the verdict. The police were obliged to give their conclusion on each violation of the verdict,” Vardan Grigoryan, a resident of Astghadzor, who applied to the Environmental Public Court said in his conversation with EcoLur.
The court found the residents' complaint to be well-founded, examining official documents, evidence, official responses, and positions, and gave a legal assessment (see Verdict of Public Environmental Court)
Head of Martuni Division of Gegharkunik Regional Department of RA Police S. Hakobyan's letter N 014274 dated on June 15, 2020 says:
Based on the above, and being guided by Article 35 (1 (8)), Articles 54, 181, 183 and 185 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code,
I have decided:
1. To refuse to initiate a criminal case on the prepared materials on the basis of the existence of an unresolved decision made by the investigative body on the same factual circumstances.
Mystery of 85 Million AMD
Vardan Grigoryan has made a new discovery, which raises many questions. According to the decision of Government of the Republic of Armenia N 1306-A dated on October 12, 2017, the RAED PIU donated 1 billion 215 million 37 thousand AMD to the reconstructed water supply system to Zolakar community. Meanwhile, according to to the co-financing agreement signed with the Zolakar community in 2016, the amount of the program is different.
“The agreement stipulates that the community is obliged to provide its share of financing of these works in the amount of at least 5% and invests the necessary funds for the construction and reconstruction of the community water supply system in the amount of 56 million 499 thousand 975 AMD. If 5% of the total amount is 56 million AMD, the total amount given by the loaning program should make 1 billion 129 million 999 thousand 500 AMD. There is a difference of 85 million 38 thousand 77 AMD between that amount and the amount approved by the government. Where is that money? Isn't this a violation? Isn't this a fact? This should have been the basis for a criminal case. What is that money, where did that difference come from?” Vardan Grigoryan is posing questions. It should be noted that any deviation from the budget of the credit program must have official approval, which is missing in the documents of the loaning program.
On June 26, the residents of Astghadzor filed a complaint with RA Gegharkunik Region Prosecutor's Office in connection with the rejection by the police, based on the requirements of Article 185 of RA Criminal Procedure Code in order to eliminate V. Mnatsakanyan’s decision dated on 15.06.2020 to refuse to initiate a criminal case.
June 29, 2020 at 16:26