Epress.am News from Armenia
Former Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan has assaulted a citizen — again. This time Beglaryan hit National Security Council of Armenia Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan’s assistant Eduard Melkonyan, reports local Armenian daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”).
The paper, citing police sources, reports that on the evening of Jan. 23, near the “Goom” market on Vardanants St. in Yerevan, Beglaryan’s “men” had an altercation with Melkonyan, then they began to hit him. Then came Beglaryan, apparently to break up the fight, but who also threw in a few punches. In response to the paper’s inquiry, the RA police press service said, “1979-born Edgar Melkonyan, on Jan. 24 at around 3 pm, presented a report to the RA Police Kentron [“Center”] division that around 11 pm on Jan. 23, on the street of craftsmen, he was assaulted by the Goom market security officers and received bodily injuries.”
The reason for the dispute, according to the paper, was parking. The two parties in question both own taxi services and when the taxi service belonging to Melkonyan stopped at the vicinity of Goom market where the service belonging to Beglaryan usually parks its cars, an argument arose, which eventually resulted in violence.
The paper attempted to find out additional information from the Security Council. National Security Council of Armenia press spokesperson Gayane Gasparyan said that Artur Baghdasaryan has one assistant whose name is Eduard (not Edgar) Melkonyan; however, this is the first time she’s hearing that he might’ve been assaulted.
The paper adds that it was able to find out through unofficial means that a criminal case on charges of hooliganism and assault has been launched.