Epress.am News from Armenia
Diasporan Armenian Georges Tovmasian, who claims that a company by the name of Dershin embezzled 30 million drams (approx. $77.6 thousand USD) from him, has taken the case to a Yerevan district court, where it was heard today.
Tovmasian’s representative, Samvel Jaghinyan, asked the court today to annul the investigator’s decision not to launch a criminal case and launch criminal proceedings against the company.
According to the plaintiff’s representative, his client had been living in Germany for years but decided to retire in Armenia. In May 2010, Tovmasian decided to build a home in Armenia and relocate with his family. Having health issues, Tovmasian authorized Dershin director Edik Stepanyan to carry out the work of building this home in the Yerevan district of Vahagn. Since then, Tovmasian has poured 75 million drams (approx. $194 thousand USD) into the project — these funds were transfered directly to the company, which, in return, sent deeds that bore the company’s seal and appropriate signatures.
However, independent experts have valued the amount of work done on the house at 45 million drams (approx. $116.4 thousand USD), leading the plaintiff to believe he was cheated out of 30 million drams.
As Tovmasian told Epress.am in conversation, as the building was built in Vahagn district, all construction materials brought in were counted and noted in the books, which proves that not all of the money he wired to the company was spent on building the property.
“They trick you from beginning to end. The investigator doesn’t believe my arguments, the documents with [the company] seal and signatures, but he believes their lies,” said Tovmasian indignantly.
Defense prosecutor Arsen Pekinyan, however, considered the evidence to be unfounded. “In this dispute, there are no indicators of a criminal offense. This is purely a civil case and should be examined in civil court,” he said.
Judge Mkhitar Papoyan seemed to agree as he overruled the lawsuit. The plaintiff’s attorney said they will appeal the ruling.
“The Diaspora Minister says ‘come home’ [a campaign slogan aimed at Diaspora Armenians to come to Armenia]. We come home so they can rob us? People abroad hear stories like mine and they don’t come. But I won’t go. I will fight for my rights,” said Georges Tovmasian.