Cases of particularly large-scale frauds, embezzlements and official forgeries by officials of the RA Ministry of Defense, as well as cases of receiving bribes, were revealed within the multi-case criminal proceedings examined by the RA Anti-Corruption Committee.

During the preliminary investigation of the case, it was found that M. H., after being appointed as the commander of the N military unit of the RA Ministry of Defense in 2018, reached an agreement through S. P., the head of the financial service of the same military unit, with the representative of Gazprom Armenia CJSC A. J. in the matter of realizing the unused part of the gas allocated to the military unit and getting back a part of the generated funds as a result thereof, thereby pursuing the goal of fraudulently stealing the amounts to be paid for the gas consumption intended for the military unit.

As a result, from October 2018 till March 2019 on the instruction and knowledge of M. H., the gas meter data of the military unit was falsified as a result of mechanical intervention, after which the official of the Ministry of Defense confirmed with S. P. the acts containing obviously false information of the meter data every month, on the basis of which the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia paid extra for the actually unused gas in particularly large amounts, more than 12 million AMD, which was stolen by M.H. with a preliminary agreement with A. J. Later, based on the agreement reached with M. H., A. J. transferred AMD 2 million from the stolen money to M. H.

In addition, it was found that M. H. stole the money to be paid for the consumption of electricity intended for the military unit in the same way. In particular, he reached an agreement with the representative of ENA CJSC S. H. through the head of the financial service of the military unit S. P. in the matter of realizing the unused part of the electricity allocated to the military unit and getting back a part of the resulting funds. After that M. H. and S. P. confirmed the acts containing the obviously false information of the electricity meter data every month, on the basis of which the state paid more than 11 million AMD in addition for the electricity that was not actually consumed.

Continuing his criminal intent, the commander of the military unit assigned the execution of the above-described illegal actions of released S. P. from June 2019, to N.V., the head of the utility operation service of the same military unit, who falsified the data of the military unit's electricity meter every month during the period between 2019-2022, as a result of mechanical intervention, for which more than 8 million AMD was additionally paid.

As a result,  with the help of S.P. first, then of N. V. during the period between  2018-2020 M. H. received and embezzled a total of more than 4 million AMD from the representative of ENA CJSC.

By the preliminary investigation it was also found out that M. H., demanded and received 1,000 US dollars as a bribe from the senior accountant of the financial service of the said military unit under his command H.H. through S. P., for the appointment of H.H.'s wife to the position of head of the club of the same military unit.

Cases of embezzlement of more than 8 million AMD by S. P. were revealed during the preliminary investigation. In particular, it was found that S. P., occupying the above-mentioned position and then the position of the head of the financial service of another military unit, in 2019-2020 regularly made illegal bank transfers totaling more than 8 million drams to his personal bank account from the treasury accounts of the said military units, without any justification, without the permission of the commanders of the military units, using their identification cards and entering false information in the information system and embezzled them, causing the state large amounts of property damage.

 For the above mentioned criminal acts, M. H. was charged under point 1 of part 3 of article 178 (2 counts), part 1 of article 314 (2 counts) of the RA former Criminal Code, and part 1 of article 435 of the RA criminal Code; S. P. was charged under point 1 of part 3 of article 38-178 (2 counts), part 1 of article 314 (2 counts), part 1 of article 313, point 1 pf part 3 of article 179 of the RA former Criminal Code, and points 2 and 3 of part 2 of article 256, part 1 of article 445 (2 counts) of the RA Criminal Code; S. H. and A. J., was charged under point 1 of part 3 of article 178 of the RA former Criminal Code; and N. V. was charged under point 1 of part 3 of article 38-178 of the RA former Criminal Code.

More than 21 million drams of the damage caused to the state were recovered during the preliminary investigation, and in order to ensure restitution of the remaining damage, liens were imposed to the property belonging to the accused.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings is over. The materials of the proceedings were handed over to the supervising prosecutor with an indictment, with a motion to 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.