Preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding on S.O., the former Minister of Defense of the RA, A.M., the former Minister of Nature Protection of the RA and 4 more persons was completed in General Department for Investigation of Crimes against the State, Fundamentals of the Constitutional Order and Public Security of the RA Investigative Committee. 

S.O., being a person obliged to submit a declaration, in the annual declaration of property, income, interests and expenses submitted in 2021, he concealed information about the 10,526 square meter land plot in Gegharkunik region and the buildings on it, subject to be declared, and located in the territory of the "Sevan National Park" SNCO, which led to the non-declaration of particularly large amounts of property.

In the course of preliminary investigation apparent factual data were obtained on the allegation that S.O., a high-ranking official holding a state political position, between 2010 and 2015 without legal grounds occupied a 10,526 square meter plot of land in Gegharkunik region, which is state property and is located within the territory of the "Sevan National Park" SNCO․ 

In the aforementioned area, with the direct participation of A.G., the former head of the Department of Capital Construction and Troop Housing of the RA Ministry of Defense, as well as other persons, he built unauthorized buildings for himself and his family's needs, without the right to build, the value of which exceeds the minimum threshold for property in particularly large amount, obtained through criminal means as provided for by the RA Criminal Code.

In the mentioned period the mentioned officials involved a person, who was in a position of official dependence on them, in the repair and reconstruction of the private house, the company engaged in construction works, owned by the family of G.B., affiliated with A.G. and holding the position of the former head of the production and technical division of the same department, which, at the request of officials, provided construction work worth about 58 million AMD as an advantage to them, using official powers and the influence derived from them to perform actions in favor of the briber and his affiliated persons.

Besides, the relevant officials of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection, particularly, A.M., the former Minister of Nature Protection, being aware that 10,526 square meter land plot in Gegharkunik region located in the territory of the "Sevan National Park" SNCO, which is a state property, is occupied by a high-ranking official and illegal structures have already been voluntarily constructed on the land, in order to cover them up and make them look legitimate, organized a formal tender for the lease of the land plot, abusing their official powers.

In order to conceal the circumstance of having seized the aforementioned land plot located in the territory of the “Sevan National Park” SNCO and having illegally constructed buildings on it without the right to build, the criminal origin of the real estate, not to disclose his participation in the illegal transaction, thus concealing and distorting the true ownership of the property, as well as to legalize the land plot actually seized by him and the structures constructed on it, S.O. ensured that the son of his driver's cousin submitted a corresponding application for lease of the mentioned plot and a development business plan to the interdepartmental tender committee established to provide land plots in specially protected areas of the RA with the right to lease and (or) develop. Then the officials involved in the mentioned interdepartmental tender committee, violating the requirements of the RA Government Decision establishing the competition procedure, out of personal and group interests, provided the mentioned land plot in specially protected areas of the RA to the mentioned person for 25 years with the right to lease and develop, which caused grave consequences.   

Thus, S.O., a high-ranking official holding a state political position, using official position for personal interest against the interests of the service, between 2010 and 2015 without legal grounds occupied a 10,526 square meter plot of land in Gegharkunik region, which is state property within the territory of the "Sevan National Park" SNCO, and in the absence of development rights, instructed his subordinate A.G., holding the position of the head of the Department of Capital Construction and Troop Housing of the RA Ministry of Defense, and other people, to organize and secure the construction of a private house for himself in the aforementioned area, with the involvement of construction organizations and their employees who participated in the procurement processes carried out by the RA Ministry of Defense.

At the same time, at the instruction of the high-ranking official holding a state political position, the protection of the mentioned area and the property was carried out by the military police officers of the RA Ministry of Defense, to whom salaries of at least 13 million 120 thousand AMD were paid from the RA state budget during the period 2011-2016.

Thus, due to the position held by S.O., the employees of the relevant local self-government body, as well as “Sevan National Park” SNCO, did not take any measures at all to stop the unauthorized seizure of state-owned land, the unauthorized construction of buildings and structures, to record violations, to apply legal measures provided for by law, and to eliminate the consequences of violations.

A.G., the former head of the Department of Capital Construction and Troop Housing of the RA Ministry of Defense, acting on the instructions of his superior, S.O., also by involving construction organizations and their employees who participated in the procurement processes carried out by the RA Ministry of Defense, during 2010-2015, organized and ensured the unauthorized construction of a large-scale detached house consisting of several buildings in a specially protected nature reserve. As a result, the property of the high-ranking official holding a state political position, increased by an amount that significantly exceeds his legal income.

Thus, as a result of using their official position against the interests of the service for personal interests, or abusing their official powers by high-ranking officials, significant damage was caused to legal interests of the public, the state, and serious consequences were caused by negligence; the normal operation of the Department of Capital Construction and Troop Housing of the RA Ministry of Defense, the normal course of procurement with the participation of the aforementioned state body and subdivision, was disrupted, officials and organizations participating in state procurement processes were involved in the construction of unauthorized buildings in the specially protected nature area, “Sevan National Park” SNCO was deprived of the opportunity to use the aforementioned area for its intended purpose, the employees of the RA Ministry of Defense were involved in performing functions not related to the service and particularly large amount of money was paid to them as a salary from the RA state budget. 

On June 9, 2025 the Prosecutor General, based on the proposal submitted by the prosecutor supervising the legality of the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceeding, submitted two motions to the RA National Assembly on consent to the initiation of public criminal prosecution against the Deputies of the eighth convocation S.O and A.M., which on July 7, 2025 was approved by a vote in the National Assembly.

In the course of preliminary investigation public criminal prosecution was initiated against S.O. according to the Points 2, 4 and 5 of the Part 2 of the Article 441, the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 435, the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 296, the Part 2 of the Article 444 of RA Criminal Code, against A.G. according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 435 of RA Criminal Code, against L.B. according to the Part 1 of the Article 436 of RA Criminal Code, against A.M. according to the Point 5 of the Part 2 of the Article 441, against B.Gh. and E.G. according to the Point 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 46-296 of RA Criminal Code.

The part on 6 persons was separated and the criminal proceeding with the bill of indictment was sent to the prosecutor for approval and referral to court.