Editors Note: After “Hetq” published the article, “Who is Pocketing the Profits from the Sand Mine?”, Mayor Varujan Nersisyan of Ijevan saw fit to visit our office. 

Afterwards, we spoke on the phone. Mayor Nersisyan pointedly asked me, “Are you certain that the profits from the sand mine are being pocketed by any one person?”

I answered that he should tell us if others were pocketing the proceeds and that we would publish his allegations. The Mayor replied that we should refrain from publishing any further reports on the mine and basically implied that we should be ashamed for publicizing the matter. My response was that all the facts had been certified and that the documentation and photos were to be found at our office. I added that if he disagreed with any of our findings he could take the matter to the courts. Thus, our conversation ended.

During the course of last week the author of the article in question was able to ascertain the following evidence that further proves that for years on end sand has been extracted from the White Water reservoir located on the Aghstev River without any permission. This operation has been taking place ‘on the sly’ and given the growing construction boom in the Dilijan-Ijevan district the Mayor of Ijevan has raked in huge profits as a result.

Illegal Operation of and Profits from the Sand Mine

After the publication of the original article entitled, “Who is Pocketing the Profits from the Sand Mine?”  we received responses to our queries addressed to the Regional Municipality (Marzpetaran) of Tavush and the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia.

The letter from Tavush Regional Governor Armen Ghularyan states, “According to Resolution #2417 the White Water reservoir is the property of the Ijevan Municipality.” In the response sent by Aram Harutyunyan, the Minister of Nature Protection, he states that on May 4th he received a document from Deputy Minister Hakob Matilyan (Water Resources). In addition to referring to the above-mentioned government resolution regarding the reservoir being the property of the Ijevan Municipality, the document clearly reads, “Permission to utilize the reservoir’s sand has not been granted to any physical or legal entity given that no study of the reserves on the site has yet been made and no licensing contract finalized.”

However for the past 3-4 years the ‘generals of the mine’ have been vigorously extracting and selling sand without any study or license. More importantly, they have been doing so without paying appropriate state taxes. The question remains - who is behind the scenes supporting them and who is pocketing the profits?