Hartashen village Mayor Azat Ghukasyan is still walking around free, even though a criminal investigation has been launched surrounding his alleged sexual molestation of a 14 year-old girl.

Ghukasyan has yet to be formally charged with “lechery”. Even if he were to be so charged and found guilty, he’d get off lightly.

Article 142 of the RA Criminal Code: Lecherous acts with a person obviously under 16, in the absence of elements of crime envisaged in Article 140 or 141, is punished with a fine in the amount of 200 to 400 minimal salaries, or with correctional labor for up to 1 year, or with imprisonment for up to 2 years.

If Ghukasyan were to be found guilty of rape, as argued by the teenager’s uncle, the Hartashen mayor would face a 4-10 years imprisonment. (Had the victim been under 14, the term would jump to 8-15 years)

The inspector handling the case, Vahram Daghunts, remains tight-lipped.

Azat Ghukasyan, who is “on vacation” as of today, swore on everything holy and scared that he’s 100% innocent. The mayor told Hetq that someone in the village is trying to blackmail him because he has some dirt on him. Ghukasyan failed to elaborate.

“Hey, do you think I’m that stupid to do something like that right in school, and with a mentally challenged kid?” Ghukasyan said, adding that the charges are absurd.

The girl in question was medically examined and the results are pending.

“Let’s wait for the medical exam. I have nothing to hide,” argued Ghukasyan.

He said that he’s never been implicated in such an affair in the past and that those spreading such lies would pay in the end.