On November 29, 2023, the Prosecutor General's Office informed that on the same day, the prosecutor approved the indictment of the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the Holy See, Mikayel Minasyan, and handed over the proceedings to the competent court for the trial in absentia.
At the same time, the prosecutor submitted to the court a motion to conduct a trial in absentia against the accused M.M. On November 29, 2024, the Court granted the prosecutor's motion, which means that the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia M.M. will be held in absentia.
Let's remind that according to the decision of the prosecutor supervising the preliminary investigation on August 24, 2023, a public criminal prosecution was initiated against M.M. under Article 190, Part 3, Clause 1 of the Criminal Code adopted on 18.04.2003 ( legalizing particularly large amounts of property obtained through criminal means (money laundering)).
In particular, in the criminal proceedings examined by the Anti-Corruption Committee, it was found that M.M., who held the position of First Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of Armenia from 2008 to 2012, and from 2013 to 2018, being the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See, engaged in business activities. contrary to the legal ban, until 2016 both personally and his relatives through A.P. and L.A. participated in the management of the organization carrying out entrepreneurial activity, legalizing the particularly large property obtained through criminal means as a result of the aforementioned illegal activity. "Dzora" was created with the investment of the state-owned property of the "Dzora HPP" site, which was separated from the property of the "Armenerganorogum" PB company. "HEP" PB Company.
The authority to manage the company's shares has been assigned to the Ministry of Defense. On December 16, 2010, the Ministry of Defense drafted a secret decision of the government to approve the conclusion of a large transaction of the above-mentioned property. The draft proposed to allow the Ministry of Defense to approve the conclusion of a large transaction, namely To alienate the property for 3 billion 600 million drams to the "Dzoraget Hydro" SP company managed by M.M. "Dzoraget Hydro" JSC was founded by MM affiliates A.P. and L.A., trading company "MGDC Inc" registered in the British Virgin Islands and "Wode Group". Through SP company on October 27, 2010: "Dzora HPP" according to the contract of sale of property signed on December 20, 2010 The property of the PB company with a market value of 4 billion 646 million 400 thousand drams was sold to "Dzoraget Hydro" SP company managed by MM for 3 billion 600 million drams.
Then, in order to set privileges for "Dzoraget Hydro" JSC, the Government set the maximum capacity up to 30 MW instead of the 10 MW power set for small hydroelectric power plants by the relevant decision in 2011.
As a result, the 26.4 MW Dzoraget hydropower plant, which is the only large hydropower plant, was included in the list of small hydroelectric power plants. » from the SP company's hydroelectric plant set double tariffs for the sale of produced and delivered electricity. As a result, Dzoraget Hydro received an additional 3 billion 750 million 837 thousand 591 drams from individuals and legal entities consuming electricity in the Republic of Armenia.
M.M. concealed the fact that he was the real beneficiary of 30 percent of the company's shares, as a result of which he received 1 billion 113 million 698 thousand 628 drams in dividends during the years 2011-2016. In the above-mentioned period, the money obtained as a result of illegal participation in entrepreneurial activities, especially large amounts 333 million 861 thousand 167 drams actually received with the common intention of legalizing it In order to distort the criminal origin of the money, to hide its real ownership, M.M. mixed the above-mentioned money with his other income, and then gave it a legal appearance by means of various civil and legal transactions, that is, various bank transactions. Decision on October 28, 2023 it was decided to conduct proceedings in absentia against M.M., accused in the criminal proceedings. Notice: the person accused of a crime is considered innocent until his guilt is proven in accordance with the procedure established by the Code of Criminal Procedure by a legally binding court verdict.
