According to the preliminary investigation carried out in the criminal proceedings investigated by the RA Anti-Corruption Committee, evidence was obtained that during 2021 K. Gharagozyan, the director of the “Tumanyan Forestry” Branch of “Hayantar” SNCO of the Forestry Committee of the RA Ministry of Environment, in order to sell timber procured from the said forestry to various buyers, demanded and received bribes of various amounts from them. 

In particular, it was found that in order to perform an action in favor of A. Badalyan within the framework of his authorities, that is, to sell him 5.7 m3 of firewood from the territory of the forest fund of the branch he managed, on November 10, 2021 K. Gharagozyan personally received a bribe of AMD 47,000 from him in his office, but provided the latter with a tax invoice for the supply of 4 m3 of timber.

Besides, in order to perform an action in favor of G. Paranyan within the framework of his authorities, that is, to sell him 25 m3 of firewood from the territory of the same forest fund, on November 22, 2021 K. Gharagozyan received a bribe of AMD 117,000 from him, and on December 21, he demanded a bribe of AMD 165,000 from another person A. Budaghyan for selling 33 m3 of firewood.

According to the preliminary investigation on December 22, 2021 he received a bribe of 240,000 AMD from R. Sakanyan, representative of a certain Limited Liability Company, in return for commitment of an obvious illegal inaction in favor of the relevant LLC, that is, for not recording the fact of destruction of the forest area with an area of about 450 m2 as a result of dismantling the gas pipeline in the Tumanyan forestry state reserve in December 2021 the by the working group of the said company without the appropriate permit and not initiating legal procedures in accordance with the law.

K. Gharagozyan, director of “Tumanyan Forestry” branch is charged for demanding and receiving a bribe under part 1 of article 311 (3 counts) and part 2 of article 311 of the former Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, and G. Paranyan, A. Badalyan, A. Budaghyan and R. Sakanyan charged under part 1 of article 312 of the RA Criminal Code.

Arrest was applied as a measure of restriction against K. Gharagozyan.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings has been completed. The materials of the proceedings with the indictment were handed over to the supervising prosecutor with a request to approve it and send it to the court.

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.