Ex-head of penal institutions department gets 12 years in prison

A Yerevan court today sentenced Samvel Hovhannisian, who served as head of Armenia’s Department of Penal Institutions in 2001-2006, to 12 years in prison, according to PastInfo news agency.

Due to the absence of corpus delicti, the court of Yerevan’s Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun administrative districts (chaired by Judge Armen Khachatrian) acquitted Samvel Hovhannisian of the crime under Articles 38-35-104 part 2 point 7 of the Criminal Code – organization of a murder by a group of people or by an organized group.

Samvel Hovhannisian was found guilty of the crime under Articles 38-35-104 part 2 point 8 – organization of a murder for mercenary motives. The man was also found guilty of serious fraud under Article 178 part 3 point 1 of the Criminal Code. He got 12 years in prison.

The court ruled that S. Hovhannisian must pay 42 million drams to the victims of fraud.

According to the indictment, S. Hovhannisian concluded repeated deals related to two apartments of residential buildings constructed by Samosh OJSC. He embezzled large sums paid for those apartments. Samvel Hovhannisian is also accused of ordering the murder of a convict, Jamal Sloyan. He pleaded not guilty to charges under two articles of the Criminal Code.