Corruption case committed by a criminal organization between 2008 and  2014 uncovered - Investigative Committee

ArmInfo.  As a result of large-scale investigative actions conducted by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, a corruption crime committed by a criminal organization between 2008 and 2014 has been uncovered, as reported by the Investigative Committee.  Specifically, as the source notes, the preliminary investigation revealed  that G.A.,  owner of a wine and  brandy factory and the actual owner of several companies, having  close ties to the former head of the Cadastre Committee department,   created and headed a criminal organization with the purpose of  illegally seizing land plots of 40 hectares, 19.3 hectares, and 14.5  hectares from the property fund of the Yerevan community. Moreover,  the criminal group used forged documents to register land plots in  the names of individuals and legal entities affiliated with G.M.,  thereby committing large-scale theft and money laundering through  fraud. Members of the criminal organization, through their affiliated  companies, pledged the said properties to various commercial banks at  different times, obtaining loans of $10 million or more.

Then, the former head of the Cadastre Committee's department, abusing  his official powers, committing official forgery and fraud, provided  other leaders and members of the criminal organization with faked  property ownership certificates  for a number of land plots belonging  to the Yerevan community, with the aim of subsequent money laundering  through a series of civil transactions. In turn, the members of the  criminal organization, realizing that the land plots in question had  been acquired through the commission of a number of crimes and were  of criminal origin, proceeded to achieve the criminal organization's  ultimate goal, following the instructions of the organization's  leaders.

As a result of procedural and evidentiary actions conducted during  the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, the circle of  individuals involved in the criminal organization was identified.  More than a dozen searches were conducted in their apartments, during  which items relevant to the criminal case were discovered. Arrest  warrant were issued for 12 individuals charged under various articles  of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, and seven  individuals were detained.  The preliminary investigation of the  criminal case is ongoing.