On 14 January 2020 an article on the case of extortion of money from a territorial military commissar of the RA Ministry of Defence of Lori marz was published stating that the RA National Security Service “is undertaking necessary operational and search measures in order to fully identify extortionists and detect them”. The RA NSS provides an explanation with regard to the abovementioned statement:

The National Security Service of the RA, being faithful to the principle envisaged by law of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizen, considering the fight against various manifestations of corruption as one of the priorities, having received a report about crime from a citizen of the RA, as a result of the undertaken operative search measures and investigative activities, received a factual information that in October 2019 a citizen of the RA through phone calls and letters left in designated locations and threatening to disclose discrediting information to the NSS about allegedly the illegal release of three young men of conscription age from compulsory military service by abuse of authority, demanded 30.000US dollars in especially large amount from the territorial military commissar of the RA MoD of the Lori marz by extortion to be transferred in two bank accounts.

During the implemented verification activities additional data has been obtained that the same user demanded 15,000 US dollars in especially large amount from another RA citizen by threatening to disclose discrediting information to the NSS about the illegal release of children from compulsory military service.

As a result of undertaken operative-search measures the offenders were identified. In the Investigation Department of the NSS of the RA, a criminal case has been initiated on the fact of the apparent crime, according to corresponding articles of the Criminal Code of RA, on November 21, 2019 which was referred to the Investigation Committee of the RA to continue the preliminary investigation in accordance with investigative subordination. 

Note: The suspect or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent as long as his/her guilt is not proven in a manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA - by the court decision entered into legal force.