Epress.am News from Armenia
Homeowners who signed contracts with Gapbnakshin, as well as employees of the company who say they haven’t been paid in a year were protesting outside the RA Prosecutor General’s Office earlier today. Recall, the homeowners of apartments on Aram, Buzand, Yekmalyan and Saryan streets say they signed contracts with the developing company for new apartments, which not only did they not receive, but also were resold to other parties (sometimes not once, but twice).
One of these protesting homeowners, Sona Maghakyan, in conversation with Epress.am, said that they had come to the Special Investigation Service (which is located in the same building as the Prosecutor General’s Office) to ask that the commission dealing with their case not be allowed to get Gapbnakshin’s company seal from the prosecutor’s office.
The homeowners fear that in the name of signing a contract with police, the commission will take the seal and print backdated receipts — in order to justify what they say is an unlawful court ruling. Protestors say that on several occasions the court, not having the necessary receipts, ruled in favor of those who were the first who signed the apartment purchase agreement.
“After the criminal case is launched, the seal is kept by the Special Investigation Service [SIS]. In any case, it should be kept at the SIS. The thing is, it’s come to light that the court rulings of officials worked out — without showing the receipt of payment. Judge Edik Avetisyan issued a ruling on 24 apartments, 27 garages and one yard without receipts,” she said.
Maghakyan asserted that the commission set up by Finance Minister Vache Gabrielyan, which is dealing with the homeowners’ case, ceased its activities because examining the homeowners’ documents showed that if the commission were to work honestly the case would be uncovered, and at that time, former Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakaryan, head of the presidential oversight (control) service Hovhannes Hovsepyan and Judge Edik Avetisyan would be held criminally accountable.
Outside the building that houses the RA Prosecutor General’s Office the protestors delivered their request to SIS Chief Andranik Mirzoyan, who assured them that the company seal is in his safe and he won’t be giving it to anyone. Asked when their concerns will be addressed, Mirzoyan said, “This is a case with 500 victims. The investigation is in process. It might take one month, three months, six months. I can’t say when the matter will be resolved.”
The protesting Gapbnakshin employees also asked the SIS chief for assistance, who said to them: “Gapbnakshin might also not give you your money” and “the case is in court”.
“If such a high-ranking official is saying that [the company] might also not give [us our money], well what should we expect? I’ve mortgaged my home in the hope that they’ll give me my salary. Now they’ll throw me out of the house. I’m a registered employee, how can they not give my 1.5 million drams’ and my son’s 1.2 million drams’ salary?” said one Gapbnakshin employee, Samvel Zakaryan.