Maestro Sergey Smbatyan, the former Principal Conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), has been acquitted and relieved of criminal charges.
The decision, made by the Prosecutor of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia on 27 October 2023, was based on the assertion that Smbatyan was not involved in any criminal wrongdoing.
Smbatyan, together with his father, faced allegations of large-scale fraud in Armenia, leading to their arrest earlier this year.
However, following a thorough investigation and legal proceedings, the charges against Maestro Smbatyan were dropped. It should be noted that the decision can still be appealed within a 15-day window.
The case also involved Smbatyan’s father, a former ambassador of Armenia to Israel, who had been accused of abuse of power and money laundering in a separate matter.
The most recent charges were related to the sale and construction of the ‘Book World’ complex, intended to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Armenian printing and Yerevan’s designation as the world book capital in 2012. The property was sold to a company known as ‘Sochocenter,’ allegedly owned by the Smbatyan family.
The General Prosecutor’s Office claimed that Smbatyan’s involvement in the transaction resulted in substantial financial losses for the state, estimated at one billion drams, and the transfer of a plot of land belonging to the Yerevan Tchaikovsky Music School.
During the course of the investigation, businessman Arman Petrosyan was also arrested in connection with the case, and the two Smbatyans were held in custody for two months. Additionally, Hasmik Poghosyan, the former Armenian Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, was under investigation in relation to the same matter.
Sergey Smbatyan assumed his role as the conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2022 and has been a prominent figure in the world of classical music.
His suspension by the MPO, which occurred shortly after his arrest in July, is set to be reviewed in light of his acquittal.
The MPO released a statement at the time, expressing its decision to suspend Smbatyan’s working relationship, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. The orchestra has been closely monitoring the case and will make a final determination regarding Smbatyan’s status once all facts have been ascertained.
Questions have been sent to the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.