Vardan Ghukasyan did not turn up in court again
A court in Armenia's Shirak provice today continued the hearing of the murder case of Karen Yesayan, the would-be son-in-law of former Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan.
The court is already finishing the questioning of witnesses. During the last hearing the court decided to subpoena the last five witnesses, including ex-mayor Vardan Ghukasyan and his daughter who earlier refused to testify in court. However, the group did not show up at today's hearing either.
Yesayan was found dead in his Mercedes vehicle in the vicinities of the city's Mother Armenia statue on the day of his engagement with Ghukasyan's daughter in April 2012. A few days later the local police detained Harutyun Sargsyan, the son of Samvel Sargsyan, former chief of police for the town of Ani, on suspicion of the murder. The controversial murder was first believed to be motivated by jealousy, but then it was said to be politically motivated.
Ghukasyan, who is a member of the Republican Party of Armenia, said that the detainees were members of the electoral headquarters of Prosperous Armenia Party [PAP] in Gyumri and linked the murder to the electoral process underway in the city.
For more details, watch the video of Gyumri's GALA TV.
