Criminal prosecution initiated against a lawyer and two other individuals
The Anti-Corruption Committee reports that within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated regarding cases of obstructing the exercise of powers by participants in legal proceedings and bribing them, public criminal prosecution has been initiated against three individuals, including one lawyer.
According to the Committee, the evidence obtained indicates that the lawyer, a member of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, was involved as a defense attorney for a defendant in a criminal case being examined in one of the courts of general jurisdiction of first instance regarding a murder case.
According to investigation data, during the trial, the lawyer, having reached a prior agreement with the defendant’s brother, attempted to illegally influence a key witness in the case at the law office operated by him. Specifically, they attempted to persuade, as well as compel the witness through death threats, to change the testimonies given during the preliminary investigation and trial and to provide false testimony in court, which could have facilitated the defendant’s evasion of criminal liability.
Furthermore, according to the investigation, a bribe of an as yet undetermined amount was also transferred to the witness, after which he provided false testimony during a subsequent court hearing.
Based on the facts obtained during the preliminary investigation, public criminal prosecutions have been initiated against the three individuals, including the lawyer, under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
