Yerevan Police Chief Called in For Questioning in Tamamyan Case

Two days ago, Armenia’s Special Investigative Service called Yerevan Police Chief Nerses Nazaryan in for questioning related to the criminal case of former head of the Department of Criminal Investigations of Armenian’s Police Hovhannes Tamamyan (pictured).

“They listened to me as a witness; whatever explanation was required, I gave, and why shouldn’t I give an explanation?” Nazaryan asked, while speaking to journalists in Yerevan today.

The police chief added that he’s unable to provide additional details since the investigation concerning this case is still underway, though he “unequivocally” noted that he, as Yerevan’s police chief, has no connection whatsoever with this case.

“I want to officially inform you, so that you know. I can’t have a connection with such an incident. But the guilty must be punished and within the framework of this case everyone understood that no one will be pardoned; I’ve understood and our employees have understood too,” he said.

Recall, on Feb. 23, RA General Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan presented RA Police Chief Alik Sargsyan with a petition on the expediency of the head of the RA Police General Department of Criminal Intelligence Service H. Tamamyan’s and the Chief of Arabkir Police V. Adamyan’s holding their offices.

According to a Mar. 2 press release on the RA General Prosecutor’s official website, “Hovhannes Tamamyan and Varazdat Adamyan failed to do their duties and undertake necessary measures to reveal a crime which led to the distortion and fraud of the significant circumstances of the investigation of the criminal case as well as to the distortion of the actions taken by the participants of the crime.”

Recall, a local court yesterday ruled in favor of a two-month pretrial detention as a measure of restraint for Tamamyan.