Shinforum LLC, a company engaged in road and bridge construction, has dropped its slander suit against Hetq according to a statement just released by Kentron and Nork-Marash Court Judge Samvel Tadevosyan.

The trial was scheduled to start today but none of the litigants appeared in court.

Judge Tadevosyan decided to continue the trial in their absence and announced that Shinforum had informed the court on March 5 that it wanted to drop the charges against Hetq.

The court will issue its decision on April 19.

Shinforum Director Tigran Gasbaryan had claimed that articles written by Hetq columnist Daniel Ioannisyan (Fatal Fraud: Tsitsernakaberd Highway Constructed with Kickbacks), tarnished the reputation of his company

Gasbaryan had requested that the court obligate Hetq to refute all “slanderous” information contained in the articles and to pay 2 million AMD in compensation, in addition to 44,000 AMD for state fees.

The articles discuss whether the Tsitsernakaberd Highway, commissioned by the Yerevan community corresponds to building standards.