On August 15, at the regular sitting of the Ad-Hoc Inquiry Committee, Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, Chairman of the committee, informed on the committees’ works, done after the last sitting. It was noted that Mr. Myasnik Malkhasyan’s lawyer applied to the committee, expressing concern for his client’s health. With the same concern the committee mediated the Prosecutor’s office for the relevant measures to be taken. According to the Chairman the fact-collecting activities of the committee are soon to be ended, they have enough facts for the conclusions, but yet need some information on weapons. 

The committee also applied to the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Armenia to get information on how many persons applied for medical assistance on March 1.

Mr. Aram Harutyunyan, former candidate for the President of the Republic of Armenia, proposed also a representative of the opposition to inform on the events of March 1-2 to have a more complete picture, which was accepted by the committee and it was decided to apply the opposition by a letter-application.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Samvel Nikoyan also informed that in the “Nubarashen” Criminal Executive Institution with Mr. Artsvik Minasyan they met with Mr. Aghasi Mkrtchyan, who announced a hunger strike and left the judicial sitting hall, not agreeing with the accusations towards him of distributing electoral bribes. Mr. Aghasi Mkrtchyan said that they gave him 800.000 of drams to pay the committee members and authority bodies, which was done and even the missing money he paid from his own pocket. He also claimed that he was arrested for  political reasons. According to Mr. Nikoyan paying or giving salary from other means, contradicts the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia, the payment should be done from the corresponding account. According to the Chairman of the committee, though he does not want and even cannot interfere with the judicial case, the court will take into consideration the passed path and health situation of the accused.

Mr. Stepan Manukyan, Head of the Department of the Police of the Republic of Armenia presented clarifications, related to the results of the area inspection done in the Azatutyun square in the morning of March 1, 2008. He said that in the morning of March 1, with several employees he was at the Azatutyun square at 8.30, where the events were already over, the square was protected, the representatives of the investigation service, dividing the area, were forming expert groups and inspecting the area. 3 revolvers, grenades, wooden and iron poles, bottles with explosives were confiscated from the area, which were processed aiming to find fingerprints. Later they were sealed and given to the investigators for drawing up a relevant report. He informed that fingerprints on the weapons, as  real evidence, which could be necessary for further work, were not discovered. The head of the Department also answered the questions of the members of the committee, which mainly related to fingerprints, the kinds of the real evidence and the place of their confiscation.

At the end of the sitting Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, Chairman of the Committee informed that there will be no sitting on the next Tuesday for convening extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly.