Within the criminal case initiated by the RA National Security Service and investigated by the RA Anti-corruption Committee regarding cases of illegal tree cutting in the protected areas of the Vahagni forest state of the Vanadzor forestry branch of the Forestry Committee of the RA Ministry of Environment, "Hayantar" SNCO, large-scale illegal tree cutting cases were revealed, as a result of which the state was particularly large-scale property damage of more than 6 million AMD.
Sufficient evidence obtained during the preliminary investigation of the criminal case proved that the forest chief of the Vahagni forest state M. N., using his official position against the interests of the service, instructed the forester S.V. during 2021 to allow a group of residents of Lori marz to enter the territory of the said forest state unhindered and to carry out illegal tree felling without the presence of relevant documents, after which the aforementioned persons paid certain sums to the forest chief for each cubic meter of timber.
Besides, the forest chief M.N., reached an agreement on the sale of timber with S.M., a resident of Lori marz, after which, in the period from March to mid-autumn 2021, residents of Vahagn community, Lori marz, D.K. and G.K. transported the illegally felled timber from the forest to the area called "Zamarlu" located in Vahagnadzor community of Lori marz, from where it was loaded into the vehicles belonging to S.M. For one cubic meter of the mentioned timber, S.M. paid AMD 8,000 to the forest chief M.N., of which AMD 6,000 was the cost of timber, and AMD 2,000 were paid to D.K. and G.K. as salary.
It was substantiated by the criminal case, that the forest chief, M.N., at the instigation of a group of residents of Lori marz, including S.M. and H.S., with the assistance of forester S.V., residents of Lori marz, D.K. and G.K. deliberately did not fulfill his duties and used his powers contrary to the interests of the service, as a result of which during 2021, the mentioned persons carried out around 90 illegal cuttings of "Beech", "Maple", "Oak", "Pine tree", "Ash tree", "Bokhi", "Lime tree" and other trees of different sizes and the timber received was illegally sold or used at their discretion.
On 22.06.2022, the forest chief M. N. and three other persons were detained by the investigator of the RA Anti-Corruption Committee with suspicion of committing criminal acts under Article 308, part 2 of the RA Criminal Code and Article 38-308, part 2 of the RA Criminal Code.
On 23.06.2022, M.N. was charged under Article 308, part 2 of the RA Criminal Code. H.S. and S.M., residents of Lori marz, were charged under part 2 of Article 38-308. Petitions were submitted by the RA Anti-Corruption Committee investigator to the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on selecting taking into custody as a measure of restriction to M.N. and S.M.
The investigation on the criminal case is ongoing. Necessary investigative and other large-scale judicial actions, as well as operative-intelligence measures, are carried out in order to reveal the entire range of crimes and the persons who committed them.
Notification. the person accused of a crime is considered innocent until his guilt is proven in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code by a verdict entered into legal force.
