Epress.am News from Armenia
A week has passed since clothing and footwear shop “Milano” at 4 Abovyan St. in Yerevan was demolished, however, police have taken no steps to rectify the situation and goods are being robbed from beneath the rubble, according to the shop manager, Hovhannes Ghukasyan.
Demolition of the building — while there was still valuable goods and furniture in the shop, says Ghukasyan — was completed on Aug. 22. According to the shop manager, on Aug. 21, while the shop was still standing, he had asked that demolition work be ceased since the legality of the act had not yet been determined. Police and construction workers, however, were told otherwise and carried out the demolition.
Later, Ghukasyan and his attorney T. Hayrapetyan reportedly went to the downtown police station, where they stayed till 3 am, to report a crime. The investigator they spoke to promised to follow up with them the next day; however, the next day, a Sunday, no one came — worse, another attempt was made to demolish the building. At 7 am on Monday, the building was razed to the ground. On Aug. 23, Ghukasyan was called to the police station to give a testimony. According to the store manager, he presented his losses (by way of a list of goods and furniture), as well as the illegality of the demolition, but the police only asked after the grounds of the goods and furniture he acquired, according to a statement sent to the press by Ghukasyan.
Earlier, media reported that Ghukasyan’s attorneys said that the state simply “gave” Milano’s basement, second floor and attic to developer company AVO FMH which reportedly belongs to Syrian Armenian businessman Avetis Karagulyan.
Supporters have launched a Facebook community page to report on developments in this case.