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Endangered Bonobo Chimp Imported to Armenia Goes Missing: Preliminary
Investigation Drags On
Kristine Aghalaryan
10:30, January 24, 2015
An endangered bonobo primate has disappeared from the Jambo Exotic
Park in Armenia's Tzoraghbyur village.
The park's founder, Artyom Vardanyan, claims that the animal, listed
in the international Red Book of endangered species, died last month.
All such animals can only be imported with special permits and must be
kept in special conditions.
The importer of the bonobo and many other endangered animals is a
company called Zoo Fauna Art. A criminal case of contraband was
launched against company director ArturKhachatryan a year ago and is
still on-going.
Hetq asked the ministry of finance to provide information about the
criminal investigation and whether it has revealed any wrongdoing.
In reply, the ministry said that inquiries have been made to
authorities in Guinea and the Congo in order to finalize the
preliminary phase of the case but that it hasn't received any answers
as yet.
ArturAfrikyan, first deputy to the president of the State Revenue
Committee, provided us with a list of the animals imported to and
exported from Armenia between 2010 and 2013 with CITES permits.
According to that list, in addition to two bonobos (Pan panicus)
imported to Armenia in 2011, another two were imported in 2012 and not
exported. Furthermore, four Common Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
listed as "endangered" and four Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecusdiana)
listed as "vulnerable" were also imported to Armenia with the same
CITES 2012 permits. None of these animals have been exported.
We asked the finance ministry if the investigation has revealed where
the four bonobos, four chimpanzees and the four Diana monkeys are
today and under what conditions are they being kept.
We also asked the ministry if the investigation has revealed where the
deceased bonobo is buried. We should remind readers that according to
the importer the first bonobo died one week after reaching Armenia. We
also asked if the animals had been exhumed to see whether it had
actually expired.
"As to the questions you raise, the criminal case's preliminary
examination is continuing. Supplemental information regarding the
process will be made available," noted the finance ministry in its
reply.
Attorney Ara Ghazaryan explained that Article 197 of Armenia's
Criminal Code defines the preliminary exam duration of a criminal case
to be two months but that it can be extended. The law doesn't specify
for how long it can be extended.
"The prosecutor can extend the preliminary examination based on the
decision of the investigator. The law doesn't state how many times.
For example, a new draft of the Criminal Procedural Code envisagesup
to one year, but the current code doesn't specify any period. As a
result, it can be prolonged indefinitely. Here, the European
Convention can play a role. If nothing is being done, if the
extensions are merely for show, it can be regarded as contradicting
the reasonable deadline stipulation for court proceedings,"Ara
Ghazaryan added.
We should note that the Ministry of Nature Protection has complied
with a court order to provide Hetq with copies of export, sale or
transport permits of rare animals as regulated by the CITES for the
period 2010-2013. We received the copies today.
Hetq sought the copies for an investigative series it was working on
entitled "Dangerous Monkey Business: Armenia's Links to the Illegal
Trafficking of Endangered Species."
The ministry initially refused Hetq's request, arguing that such
documents contained 'secretive material'. It merely provided a list of
animals imported to and exported from Armenia.
We will discuss what the copies reveal at a later date.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58255/endangered-bonobo-chimp-imported-to-armenia-goes-missing-preliminary-investigation-drags-on.html
From: Baghdasarian
Investigation Drags On
Kristine Aghalaryan
10:30, January 24, 2015
An endangered bonobo primate has disappeared from the Jambo Exotic
Park in Armenia's Tzoraghbyur village.
The park's founder, Artyom Vardanyan, claims that the animal, listed
in the international Red Book of endangered species, died last month.
All such animals can only be imported with special permits and must be
kept in special conditions.
The importer of the bonobo and many other endangered animals is a
company called Zoo Fauna Art. A criminal case of contraband was
launched against company director ArturKhachatryan a year ago and is
still on-going.
Hetq asked the ministry of finance to provide information about the
criminal investigation and whether it has revealed any wrongdoing.
In reply, the ministry said that inquiries have been made to
authorities in Guinea and the Congo in order to finalize the
preliminary phase of the case but that it hasn't received any answers
as yet.
ArturAfrikyan, first deputy to the president of the State Revenue
Committee, provided us with a list of the animals imported to and
exported from Armenia between 2010 and 2013 with CITES permits.
According to that list, in addition to two bonobos (Pan panicus)
imported to Armenia in 2011, another two were imported in 2012 and not
exported. Furthermore, four Common Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
listed as "endangered" and four Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecusdiana)
listed as "vulnerable" were also imported to Armenia with the same
CITES 2012 permits. None of these animals have been exported.
We asked the finance ministry if the investigation has revealed where
the four bonobos, four chimpanzees and the four Diana monkeys are
today and under what conditions are they being kept.
We also asked the ministry if the investigation has revealed where the
deceased bonobo is buried. We should remind readers that according to
the importer the first bonobo died one week after reaching Armenia. We
also asked if the animals had been exhumed to see whether it had
actually expired.
"As to the questions you raise, the criminal case's preliminary
examination is continuing. Supplemental information regarding the
process will be made available," noted the finance ministry in its
reply.
Attorney Ara Ghazaryan explained that Article 197 of Armenia's
Criminal Code defines the preliminary exam duration of a criminal case
to be two months but that it can be extended. The law doesn't specify
for how long it can be extended.
"The prosecutor can extend the preliminary examination based on the
decision of the investigator. The law doesn't state how many times.
For example, a new draft of the Criminal Procedural Code envisagesup
to one year, but the current code doesn't specify any period. As a
result, it can be prolonged indefinitely. Here, the European
Convention can play a role. If nothing is being done, if the
extensions are merely for show, it can be regarded as contradicting
the reasonable deadline stipulation for court proceedings,"Ara
Ghazaryan added.
We should note that the Ministry of Nature Protection has complied
with a court order to provide Hetq with copies of export, sale or
transport permits of rare animals as regulated by the CITES for the
period 2010-2013. We received the copies today.
Hetq sought the copies for an investigative series it was working on
entitled "Dangerous Monkey Business: Armenia's Links to the Illegal
Trafficking of Endangered Species."
The ministry initially refused Hetq's request, arguing that such
documents contained 'secretive material'. It merely provided a list of
animals imported to and exported from Armenia.
We will discuss what the copies reveal at a later date.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58255/endangered-bonobo-chimp-imported-to-armenia-goes-missing-preliminary-investigation-drags-on.html
From: Baghdasarian