PROBLEMS OF ILLICIT ENRICHMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF INNOCENCE ARE AT THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION: MEETING-DISCUSSION AT THE FACULTY OF LAW

Beginning of the meeting-discussion the Dean of the Faculty of Law Gagik Ghazinyan greeted those present and wished them fruitful discussion.

The member of the SSS of the faculty, the person in charge for the event Gevorg Barseghyan noted that the problem of illicit enrichment attracts students’ interest.

The event consisted of two parts. During the first part the head of the Chair of Criminal Law Ara Gabuzyan,the head of the Chair of Criminal Proceedings and Criminalistics Samvel Dilbandyan, the Prosecutor of Yerevan Gevorg Baghdasaryan and the lecturer of the Chair of Criminal Proceedings and Criminalistics David Khachaturyan made reports on the theme, and during the second part the discussion was held in the Q&A format.

Ara Gabuzyan claimed in his report that illicit enrichment as a corruption crime is a rather spread and dangerous occurrence and the struggle against it is highly actual. He also added that criminal liability to be provided for illicit enrichment can have a huge preventive significance as traditional methods of struggling against corruption are not effective.

Mr. Gabuzyan also referred to Paragraph 20 of the UNO Convention against Corruption, in which the definition of illicit enrichment is outlined.

S. Dilbandyan came up with the report entitled “Assumption of Innocence and Substantiation Obligation in Criminal Proceedings”.

Prosecutor Gevorg Baghdasaryan started his report with the statement that after the changes made in the RA Constitution the principle of Assumption of Innocence remained unchanged and didn’t lose its strength. He also brought some practical examples in relation to evidence of guilt and assumption of innocence.

David Khachaturyan presented the international practice related to the theme.

The discussion was held during the second part of the event.