Friday, January 25 2019 12:07

ArmInfo. The Special Investigation Service (SSS) of Armenia allowed entrepreneur Samvel Mayrapetyan, accused of complicity in bribery, to travel abroad. The  lawyer of the accused Karen Batikyan told ArmInfo correspondent about this.

"The SSS allowed Samvel Mairapetyan to leave the country for  treatment, after which he must return," Batikyan said. Recall that  Samvel Mayrapetyan was detained by the SIS on October 7, 2018. He was  charged under Article 38-311 of the Armenian Criminal Code  (complicity in bribery). On December 27, the Court of Appeal released  Mairapetyan on bail of 30 million drams ($ 60,000). Mairapetyan's  defense asked the SSS to return his passport in order to travel  abroad for the benefit, arguing that in Armenia it is impossible to  organize and provide specialized treatment, "since there is no  transluminal drainage in the Republic of Armenia". On January 8,  Mairapetyan's passport was returned, but, according to a statement by  lawyers, he was forbidden to leave Armenia. SIS issued a statement  regarding Samvel Mayrapetyan's disease. The statement noted that to  clarify some issues related to the state of Mairapetyan, on November  14, 2018 a forensic medical examination was appointed, and its  conduct was entrusted to an interdepartmental commission. The  conclusion of the examination has not yet been received. 

"The statement of the defense that the operation to remove the stone  from the bile ducts is possible only abroad is ambiguous, since  according to the information received, similar operations are being  carried out in Armenia," the statement of the investigative body  said.However, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on January 17  decided to apply an interim measure in the case of the businessman  and owner of the Second Public Television Samvel Mayrapetyan. "Taking  into account the fact that, according to specialists - doctors, the  treatment of Mairapetyan in Armenia is impossible, in particular, due  to the lack of the possibility of transluminal drainage, the decision  of the ECHR implies that he needs to be allowed to go to Germany, to  that hospital, where he had previously undergone treatment before, "-  the ECtHR reported.Meanwhile, on January 25, in a conversation with  journalists of the Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan stated that the  Ministry of Health issued its professional opinion regarding the  health status of businessman Samvel Mayrapetyan to both the  investigating authority and the ECHR. "At the moment I'm not sure  that I can reveal a medical secret, I'll just say that the position  expressed by the investigative body includes ours. Therefore, having  familiarized with the opinion of the investigation, you can be sure  that you've seen ours," said Torosyan.  When asked by a journalist  whether Armenia is able to provide Mayrapetyan with treatment using  the transluminal drainage prescribed for him, the head of the  Ministry of Health replied: "Are you sure that he is currently shown  exactly this method?".