The National Security Service of RA, being consistent in the strict execution of the functions assigned to it by law in the fight against crime, waging a consistent fight against corruption, as a result of large-scale investigative and procedural actions, as well as complex operative-search activities, established that a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Defense of RA with the rank of colonel, vested with the function of exercising control and conducting inspections in relation to units of the RA Armed Forces, using the authority and position of his office, carried out obviously illegal actions in favor of conscript D.H., namely: without sufficient grounds for transfer to another unit of the same military unit on September 13, 2020 personally demanded a bribe from the latter’s mother - the amount of 2.000 USD, equivalent to 975.340 AMD, of which he received 490.000 AMD the next day via transfer to his account on the Adjarabet website.

In addition, the same official, using the authority and position of his office, in the conditions of mobilization announced in connection with the martial law declared in the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, took deliberately illegal actions in favor of Y. T., called up for mobilization military service and undergoing preliminary military training in one of the military units stationed on the territory of RA, namely: for not being sent to serve in military units stationed in places of hostilities, without sufficient grounds, on November 7, 2020, through an intermediary, demanded from the parents of Y. T. a bribe in especially large amounts - 2.500 USD, equivalent to 1.234.350 AMD, of which on the same day he received the amount of 2.000 USD, equivalent to 987.470 AMD.

The same person, in order to organize the appointment of R.K., the son of M.G., to serve in the desired place during the winter conscription of rank-and-file personnel for compulsory military service in 2020, using his official position, petitioned the relevant official for assistance in resolving this issue in favor of R.K., in exchange for this, on December 17, 2020, the official demanded a bribe - an especially large amount – 10.000 USD, equivalent to 5.244.200 AMD. In this regard, the official who facilitated the agreement on the bribe between the bribe giver and the bribe recipient received the amount of the bribe.

The mentioned official, using the authority and position of his office, to commit obviously illegal actions in favor of another conscript V.H., namely: transferring him without sufficient grounds to another military unit on January 6, 2021, personally demanded a bribe from the latter’s father - a large amount – 1.000.000 AMD, which on January 7 and 8, 2021 in the amount of 350.000 AMD and 650.000 AMD respectively received via transfer to your account on the Adjarabet website.

The actions of the mentioned person were not limited to receiving a bribe - for performing actions in favor of conscript and mobilization servicemen, the latter, using the authority and position of his office, personally demanded a bribe on an especially large scale – 1.389.850 AMD, for actions in favor of A.A., namely: to resolve the issue of employment in a military hospital through his familiar officials, as well as for assistance in the issue of awarding him an officer rank.

At the same time, the preliminary investigation body has sufficient factual evidence that in addition to the above-mentioned cases of receiving bribe, there are other cases of abuse of power by the same high-ranking official. In particular, an official under the conditions of martial law declared in the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, based on personal interest, in order to return to Yerevan his acquaintance, a mobilized serviceman, located in a military hospital located in the Khndzoresk community of Syunik province, using position and authority of the office held, having exceeded official authority, on October 22, 2020, through the command of the serviceman, organized the return of the latter to Yerevan, which caused significant damage to the service in this military unit and the natural course of performing the tasks assigned to it, the combat crew of the unit was disrupted, after which, using the position and authority of the office held, to commit a deliberately illegal action in favor of the same serviceman, namely: to organize his further service in a military unit located in the Syunik province intended to perform non-combat service rear work, on October 26, 2020 personally demanded a large bribe from the latter - the amount of 300.000 AMD.

With all this, the mentioned person, in the case of martial law declared in the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, based on personal interest, at the request of a friend, using the authority and position of his office, on October 13, 2020, through familiar officers, organized the return of another mobilized serviceman from a military unit stationed in Artsakh to Yerevan, then, having learned that a serviceman in the mentioned military unit was included in the list of persons who voluntarily left the military unit, on November 1, 2020, petitioned one of the officers of the same military unit to the latter to cancel the escape of the mobilized serviceman and assign him to the appropriate rear services of the same military unit, which was done.

Then, having learned about the summons sent by the relevant territorial division of the conscription and mobilization replenishment service of the RA Ministry of Defense to the sons of his acquaintances, and on its basis about calling them up for mobilization service, he petitioned the relevant officials to exclude these conscripts from the list of conscripts, as a result of which the natural course of mobilization declared as a result of martial law was disrupted.

In addition, in the event of martial law declared in the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, the mentioned person, based on personal interest, at the request of a friend, using the authority and position of the office held, on October 13, 2020, through familiar officers, organized the return of another mobilized serviceman from a military unit stationed in Artsakh to Yerevan, then, having learned that a serviceman in this military unit was included in the list of persons who voluntarily left the military unit, on November 1, 2020, he petitioned one of the officers of the same military unit to cancel the escape of the mobilized serviceman and assign him to the relevant rear services of the same military unit, which was done. Then, having learned about the summons sent by the relevant territorial unit of the conscription and mobilization replenishment service of the RA Ministry of Defense to the sons of his acquaintances, and on its basis about their conscription for mobilization service, he petitioned the relevant officials to exclude the said conscripts from the list of conscripts, as a result of which the natural course of mobilization declared as a result of martial law was disrupted. Moreover, on December 13, 2020, an acquaintance of his approached the mentioned person and asked him to take measures to prevent his son, who was serving his military service in a military unit located in Lusakert, from being sent to the front line. The official, having learned from the officer of the mentioned military unit that there was no order to transfer the mentioned serviceman to the front line and that he would definitely not be transferred to the front line, with the aim of stealing money by deception, under the pretext of allegedly resolving the mentioned issue and receiving a bribe for it, on December 17, 2020, demanded and received from the officer of the mentioned military unit an insignificant amount of 200.000 AMD.

During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, factual data were also obtained on the theft of property in especially large amounts, provided for the needs of the RA Ministry of Defense, by the same official. In connection with the above-mentioned cases, within the framework of the criminal case initiated by the Investigation Department of the RA NSS under the relevant articles of the RA Criminal Code, based on the immediate suspicion of committing a crime, a high-ranking official with the rank of colonel of the Ministry of Defense of RA, as well as about a dozen persons suspected of the alleged crimes or related to them, who were detained and interrogated in the procedural status of suspects, were brought in.

As a result of more than a dozen searches conducted during the preliminary investigation, various types of ammunition, as well as other materials relevant to the criminal case, were also discovered.

Complex measures are being taken to clarify all the circumstances of the case, the full circle of persons who committed an obvious crime, to give an adequate criminal-legal assessment of their act and, as a result, to effectively fulfill the tasks envisaged by Article 2 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code.

The National Security Service of RA urges to fully implement the sacred mission of defending the Motherland, to demonstrate a sense of military duty, to refrain from unacceptable behavior related to evading military service duties or assisting it through various tricks, including bribery, and at the same time warns that, based on the situation, it will consistently continue to take the necessary measures within its authority to identify such criminal manifestations, identify individuals who have a negative impact on the cohesion of military personnel, their combat training, military discipline or the combat readiness of the army, and apply proportionate criminal measures to them, and warns that the described criminal acts belong to the category of serious crimes, for which punishment is provided exclusively in the form of imprisonment.

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