Corruption Case Involving Former Abovyan Officials Sent to Court in Armenia

Armenia's Prosecutor's Office has forwarded a criminal case concerning the illegal sale of real estate in the Abovyan municipality to the Anti-Corruption Court. Three former officials, identified as M.H., S.Kh., and L.N., have been indicted on charges of bribery and abuse of their official positions.

Forged Documents and Covert Agreements

According to the case files, an employee of the Abovyan municipality, M.H., who served from January 17 to December 31, 2019, made an illicit agreement with a citizen in April of that year. The deal aimed to legalize unauthorized structures built by the citizen's mother on a plot located near address 3/1/1 in the city's 3rd micro-district.

Following a formal application submitted on April 23, the head of the urban development department, S.Kh., issued a falsified official conclusion on May 7. The document falsely claimed that the structures, measuring 286.55 and 28.8 square meters, were not located on restricted land. However, municipal zoning plans revealed the land had a strictly protected status. According to investigative reports by Hetq.am, the designated use of the territory was strictly limited to:

"parks and public squares"

Indictment and Court Proceedings

Using this fraudulent conclusion, the unauthorized structures were legalized. The municipal land was subsequently sold directly to the citizen, in exchange for which the official received a bribe. Following a thorough investigation, the Prosecutor's Office initiated public criminal prosecution. The confirmed indictment and case materials were officially submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court on August 17, 2026.