Epress.am News from Armenia
In February 2020, Telman Tadevosyan was appointed head of Ajapnyak district of Yerevan from an equivalent post in Nubarashen District to which he was appointed in October, 2018. Fact investigation platform (fip.am) has investigated that Tadevosyan, born in 1986, had close ties with the Republican Party members in the past and is currently appointing former Republican apparatus members to various posts at the district administration. These include people who have been indicted for corruption, who have participated in beating peaceful protesters during the reign of the former authorities.
In April 2020, Telman Tadevosyan appointed Gevorg Badeyan as his deputy. He has also appointed Badeyan’s son, Yerem Badeyan, as a senior specialist in one of the departments of Ajapnyak administration. The father is the supervisor of the son, an apparent conflict of interests.
The three, however, have other ties too.
Rental Business Scheme
In 2013, Telman Tadevosyan set up “Zara” LLC. Interestingly, there is no mention of Zara LLC in Telman Tadevosyan’s official biography.
“Zara” LLC has a lease agreement with Yerevan Metro since 2013. This company rents the foyer of the Sasuntsi David station – 38.4 m², for which it pays about 134.500 AMD per month. The lease contract was signed in March 2013 for a term of 25 years.
At the time of setting up the company, 100% of its shares belonged to the current head of Ajapnyak administrative district Telman Tadevosyan. Afterwards, 50% of the shares were divested to Gurgen Minasyan, “Yerevan Metro” midlevel executive. In July 2018, Telman Tadevosyan divested the remaining 50% of the shares to Yerem Badeyan, the same person he has now hired to work at Ajapnyak administration. Yerem’s father, Telman’s deputy Gevorg Badeyan is also engaged in leasing public spaces and re-renting them. Gevorg Badeyan, has been the director of Diadin LLC since 2005. The company has been leasing (allegedly for purposes of re-renting at much higher prices) more than 130 m² of underground passage of the Republic Square metro station since 2012. According to the contract, the rent for this area was set at 262,000 AMD, that is, 2000 AMD/m², much lower than the minimum rent fee set by the Metro Board of Directors in 2011 (3500 AMD/m²), thus resulting in significant losses of income for the Metro (more on abuses related to the Metro, here).
Outstanding Republicans
Telman Tadevosyan’s second deputy, appointed in March 2020, is Karen Mkrtchyan, a former Republican, deputy of Vardenis town Mayor between 2017 and 2019, an ardent supporter of the Republican Party during 2017 parliamentary elections working for Republican victory.
Another midlevel head newly appointed at Ajapnyak administration is Varazdat Aharonyan, head of the Income Registration and Collection Department. An ardent former Republican, he was leading the youth wing of the Republican party before the Revolution and was an employee of Ajapnyak administration holding a lower post. He was dismissed from work in 2019, but was reappointed by Telman Tadevosyan months later, to a higher post.
Aramayis Avetisyan, is yet another outstanding Republican recently hired to work at Ajapnyak administration. On July 29, 2016, he became known during “Sasna Tsrer” uprising by his violent behavior against peaceful protestors in Sari Tagh. In civilian clothing, he preceded the police in beating peaceful protesters in Sari Tagh. He was a public servant, heading one of Yerevan municipality’s departments at that time. In December 2016, Avetisyan was caught over a bribery crime, indicted in May 2017 by the Court, however he was conditionally released on a 1-year probation and never experienced imprisonment. His brother, Gurgen Avetisyan, was prominent during the parliamentary elections in 2017 by impeding “Yelq” party’s and Nikol Pashinya’s election rally in Ajapnyak district.