Still from the beginning of 2020 according to the assignment of the RA Prosecutor General and on the initiative of the regional prosecutor's offices, a large process of revealing illegal renting of state-owned land plots in the communities of the republic, giving criminal assessments, recovering damages caused to communities and abolishing lease agreements.

 

In particular, on the basis of the materials prepared by the Prosecutor's Office of the RA Syunik Region prepared in 2020 24 criminal cases have been initiated at the Criminal Investigation Department of Syunik Region for subleasing state-owned and community-owned property. They refer to 23 communities of the region: Kapan community, Lernadzor settlement of Qajaran community, Agarak and Alvank settlements of Meghri community, Harzhis settlement of Tatev community, Angeghakot, Shaqi, Tanahat, Arevis, Vaghatin, Aghitu, Soflu /G. Nzhdeh/, Bnunis, Akhlatyan, Lor and Darbas settlement of Sisian community, Gorayq community – Gorayq and Sarnakunq, cases of abuse of office by former or current heads (including current administrative leaders) of the communities.

 

Three criminal cases out of them have been initiated under Article 308, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code, two under Article 38-308, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code, and eighteen under Article 308, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code, a case under Article 184, Part 2, Point 1 and Article 308, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code.

 

According to the criminal case file, since 2006, community leaders (administrative heads) have leased state-owned or community-owned agricultural land, sometimes through formal competitions they have been leased to various people, including close relatives or subordinates of community leaders. Then the small part of those plots were leased to the communication companies for the purpose of communication station installment and operation at much higher rents. As a result, land tenants have made large profits from the use of community-owned land for years, and communities have been deprived of the possibility to use that source of funding.

 

The mentioned communities mentioned in those cases suffered a total damage of 95.617.042 AMD, out of which 40.895.916 AMD was recovered. Active measures are also being undertaken to repair the rest of the damage.

 

Former community leaders of 10 communities have been charged for abuse of office. But taking into account that they voluntarily compensated the whole damage caused to the community and have given confessional statements, imprisonment was not chosen. In 1 criminal case, the current head of the community was charged with Article 308, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code, and the signature not to leave was applied as a preventive measure. The latter has not accepted the accusation brought against him.

 

Another criminal case against 1 person was sent with an indictment to the court and a bill of indictment was made. The preliminary investigation on other alleged perpetrators of crime is underway.

 

In the result of the operative work conducted by the Prosecutor's Office of Syunik Region, on 24 of February, lease agreements have already been terminated in 13 communities and instead of them new agreements have been concluded between the communities and communication companies which are complying with the interests of community.