On February 27, Anna Hakobyan announced that she was leaving the governor’s residence and returning to the state the gifts she received during state visits, as well as the clothing she wore during official visits as Pashinyan’s wife.
Back in early March, she submitted a written request to the RA government regarding the fate of Anna Hakobyan’s clothing and jewelry.
We were particularly interested in what the government intended to do with Anna Hakobyan’s jewelry and clothing, their value, the brand they belonged to, and what gifts, other than jewelry and clothing, Anna Hakobyan had given to the state.
In response to our questions, the Government stated that ceremonial gifts presented to the spouse of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia during or as part of state or official visits or events, work trips, business trips, as well as by foreign states, international organizations, or other persons, are the property of the recipient and are not subject to transfer to the state, and that such relationships are not currently regulated by law or other subordinate legal acts. Furthermore, such gifts are not subject to registration in the registry of gifts of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption.
“From the above, it follows that the transfer of ceremonial gifts presented to the spouse of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to the state constitutes a donation of movable property belonging to the individual to the state, which is regulated by the Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia,” the response states.
However, in cases where no special conditions for the use or consolidation of property donated to the state by an individual are specified, the property is registered as state property, and its ownership, use, and disposal are carried out in accordance with the RA Law on State Property Management and the legal acts adopted thereon.
Responding to a question about the type, brand, and price of the property, the Government stated that the process of accepting the said property by the state is still ongoing, and the relevant legal formalities have not yet been completed.
“This information will be available after the process is completed in accordance with the established procedure,” the response to our inquiry stated.
In other words, from February 27 to the present, the Government has been unable to determine what property Anna Hakobyan “bequeathed” to the state. In fact, the fate of her clothing and jewelry remains unknown to this day.