Hearings in Traffic Police Chief Case Wrap Up. Ohanyan Insists Accused Being Pressured (VIDEO)

The hearings in the high-profile case of former RA Traffic Police Chief Margar Ohanyan wrapped up in a Yerevan administrative court today. The closing statements of the prosecution and the defense, as well as the ruling, will be heard at the next court sittings.

Ohanyan, speaking to members of the press prior to the court session beginning today, said that the other three accused (former battalion commander Stepan Karakhanyan and traffic police employees Ara Levonyan and Samvel Makhmuryan) were being pressured. According to Ohanyan, Karakhanyan, who has diabetes, prior to testifying in court was in hospital, while law enforcement officials continuously supervised him from the adjacent hospital room. The police official on trial said it was under such pressure that Karakhanyan testified against him in court.

“I have said no lies here, and my remarks fully correspond to the truth. I’m not even mentioning Arayik Levonyan, what pressure they applied on him — let them say. If they’re not talking, I’m not preparing to defend them; let them defend themselves — a colonel, a lieutenant colonel… they’re over the age of 50. I said that which happened,” he said.

Recall, all four men are being charged with embezzling large quantities of gasoline that was set aside for traffic police vehicles.

Note, as well, the other three, as well as witness in the case, traffic police battalion commander Arsen Arshakyan, have testified against Ohanyan.

The evidence in the case was examined in court today: these are the pre-trial testimonies of the four accused and witness Arsen Arshakyan, and papers seized from the Traffic Police office related to gasoline receipts, accounts and other documents.

In their pre-trial testimonies, Levonyan, Karakhanyan, Makhmuryan, and Arshakyan insisted that it was under Ohanyan’s direction that less patrol than expected was alloted to the first and second officers’ battalion, and that when they took up the issue with him, Ohanyan said this is how it is, after which they didn’t object. Ohanyan, however, during his testimony refuted this, saying no one ever approached him about this issue and the matter of divvying up the petrol was dealt with by the finance division, the head of which is Ara Levonyan.

The next court date is set for Mar. 1 at 11:30 am, at which time prosecutor Harutyun Harutyunyan will give his closing statement.