Armenia’s Special Investigative Service has initiated a criminal case based on February 26, 2020 Hetq article looking into the real estate dealings of former Armenian MP Artur Gevorgyan.

Hetq wrote that Gevorgyan had violated Armenian law, including the country’s constitution since he never declared the purchase and sale of several properties in California.

On August 14, 2015, Gevorgyan purchased a condominium for US$520,000 in Glendale. The MP never listed the condo purchase in his 2015 financial disclosure filed with the Ethics Committee of High-Ranking Officials.

On July 7, 2016, Gevorgyan purchased another apartment, this time in the Valley Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. The deal was valued at $475,000. The MP also failed to list this apartment, as legally required, in his 2016 financial disclosure.

Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) member Gevorgyan was elected an MP from Davtashen in 2012 by majoritarian system, then in 2017 he was re-elected from the Yerevan’s #2 constituency that includes Arabkir, Ajapnyak and Davtashen. Following the May 2018 "Velvet Revolution”, Arthur Gevorgyan announced his departure from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and its parliamentary faction. He remained in the National Assembly until the formation of the new parliament in January 2019.

The criminal case cites that Gevorgyan violated Articles 310.1 (Illegal enrichment) and 314.3 (Concealment/forging of financial disclosure data) of Armenia’s Criminal Code.

The latter charge stems from the fact that Gevorgyan concealed the sale of his California real estate.

The illegal enrichment charge stems from the fact that according to Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Gevorgyan, in his December 2018 financial disclosure and in the one he filed on January 14, 2019, right after he left the parliament, declared the same amounts - 50 million drams, US$1.6 million and 150,000 Euros.

However, on January 10, 2019, Gevorgyan purchased a private house in Glendale for US$1.525 million.

The question naturally arises where Gevorgyan got the money to buy the house if the cash he reported both before and after the purchase remained the same.

The math doesn't add up.