Law-enforcement authorities say that the 50-year-old Gyumri resident had been hired by a local businessman, Martin Toroyan, for construction work. They say that earlier this month Toroyan beat up the worker, threw him into his dog’s kennel and then shot him in the stomach because of suspecting him of theft.
According to the Investigative Committee, Toroyan, who is a Civil Contract supporter, was detained at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport as he was about to flee to Russia. The businessman posted bail and was placed under house arrest despite being charged with attempted murder, torture and illegal arms possession.
The law-enforcement agency claims that the city council member, Yervand Khanamirian, tried to cover up the crime before going into hiding.
“I didn’t go into hiding,” Khanamirian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service at a regional office of the Investigative Committee. He refused to comment further.
Khanamirian’s lawyer, Aramayis Hayrapetian, rejected the “absurd” accusations. He claimed that his client is prosecuted for driving the wounded victim to a local policlinic.
Investigators say that the victim, who remains in hospital, tried to hide his gun wound from doctors.
Another local council member representing the ruling party, Aghasi Matevosian, was arrested in early February on charges of mugging a Russian couple together with three other men. Matevosian was released from custody and moved to house arrest in late March.
The party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian controls 11 seats in the 33-member city council. Its members also hold a number of key posts in the municipal administration.
