Epress.am News from Armenia
As directed by General Prosecutor of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan, a criminal case was initiated today in connection with the incident on the night of Aug. 14 in the restaurant complex “Harsnaqar,” reports RFE/RL’s Armenian service, citing the press service of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office.
Recall, as a result of shots heard in Harsnaqar on the night of Aug. 14, two people were hospitalized. Media reported that during a wedding celebration, an altercation took place which was intercepted by Ruben Hayrapetyan’s bodyguard by the nickname of Yezidi Ashot. Local press reported that he shot and injured 2 people, one of whom was Norik Atoyan, 33, the bodyguard of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s brother Sashik Sargsyan.
Earlier today, during a meeting with reporters, Hovsepyan said that he learned about the incident from the press and instructed his staff to check whether a criminal case had been launched or not.
“In any case, if there is an incident, a crime, they are preceded by certain checks,” he said, replying to RFE/RL Armenian service’s question as to why a criminal case hadn’t been launched until now.
To an observation by reporters that perhaps the lack of initiating a criminal case was due to the fact that the shots were heard in a restaurant owned by ruling party MP and prominent businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan, Aghvan Hovsepyan only said that he instructed his staff to look into the incident.