Preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding regarding embezzlement in particularly large amount committed by the director of “Stepanavan Medical Center” was completed in Lori Regional Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee. 

Particularly, fully aware that back in 2021 the medical center had acquired medical equipment worth 9 million AMD from a company and had not paid for it, and despite receiving funds transferred by the RA Ministry of Health for the medical center's needs, the director refused to pay the cost of the goods under the false pretext of not having received funding, thereby embezzling the aforementioned 9 million AMD.

Furthermore, acting in prior agreement with the chief accountant and several employees of the same company, as part of a group, with the intent to commit embezzlement by fraudulence, the director falsified emergency call records in July–August 2023 by making corresponding entries in the call logbooks and route sheets issued to ambulance drivers. Additionally, they fabricated adult medical histories under the names of employees of “Stepanavan Medical Center”, and their relatives, who were entitled to receive medical care within the framework of state-sponsored healthcare orders,  whereas these individuals had neither contacted the medical center for health issues nor received medical assistance, resulting in the embezzlement of a total of 16 million AMD. 

Thus, as a result of the aforementioned criminal acts, a particularly large amount totaling 25 million AMD was fraudulently embezzled from the RA Ministry of Health.

In the course of the preliminary investigation it was also found out that in order to secure a mortgage loan under more favorable terms, the director of the medical center increased the salary of the clerk at “Stepanavan Medical Center” by 30 thousand AMD starting in May 2023, subsequently including the clerk as a co-borrower and embezzling a large amount of 960 thousand AMD entrusted to her.

In the course of the preliminary investigation public criminal prosecution was initiated against the director of “Stepanavan Medical Center” according to the Point 3 of the Part 3, the Point 3 of the Part 2 of the Article 256, the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 255 (2 counts) of RA Criminal Code, and against the chief accountant - according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 255 (2 counts) of RA Criminal Code. 

Absence ban and tenure suspension was applied as a pretrial measure against them.

The criminal proceeding with the bill of indictment was referred to the supervising prosecutor.