24 May 2015, 22:53
ICRF completes investigation into Levon Airapetyan's case on embezzlement
The Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) has completed the investigation into the case against Levon Airapetyan, an entrepreneur and a member of the Armenian Diaspora in Russia, who was accused of the embezzlement of 700,000 US dollars belonging to Igor Izmestiev, an ex-MP from Bashkortostan.
Levon Airapetyan is one of the ten richest members of the Armenian Diaspora in the world and a major investor of Nagorno-Karabakh. He is believed to lobby the global recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the 65-year-old Levon Airapetyan was detained on July 15, 2014, and arrested on July 17. On October 3, 2014, Airapetyan was placed under home arrest.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that, according to the investigators, Levon Airapetyan has embezzled by fraud 700,000 US dollars belonging to Igor Izmestiev, who is serving his sentence to life imprisonment for organizing a series of murders.
"Today, Levon Airapetyan has been informed of the completion of the preliminary investigation into the criminal case under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud on a large scale)," reported Ruben Markaryan, an advocate of Levon Airapetyan.
"The case is unique, since this is probably the first case in the history, when Russian investigators so actively and quickly prosecute the well-known philanthropist in the interests of the victim, sentenced to life imprisonment for a series of murders," Ruben Markaryan has noted as quoted by the RIA "Novosti".
According to the advocate, in the nearest future, the Levon Airapetyan's defence is to start examination of the case materials, the "RBC" reports.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
