Within the criminal case investigated in General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee cases of abuses committed by officials of State Environmental Inspection of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection, illegal tree-felling with the permission of foresters, giving and getting bribe were disclosed. Charge was pressed against 10 persons.

Pursuant to preliminary investigation data, separate officials of State Environmental Inspection of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection, from 2016 to 2017 being involved in inspection groups in a number of forestries of “Hayantar” SNCO, did not perform their duties properly. Moreover, they destroyed the bookkeeping lists which were official documents made during the inspection of the mentioned forestries and obviously entered false information in inspection acts made on the base of inspection reducing the number of illegally cut trees and the volume of damage found in the mentioned forestries. In some cases they did not record the illegally cut trees, at all. Besides, factual data were obtained on the allegation that during the inspections in branches of “Artsvaberd Forestry”, “Syunik Forestry” bribe in large amount was received from foresters for performing the above-mentioned obviously illegal actions, four counts were found.

Through investigation a number of cases of giving bribe to several foresters by citizens were also found.

In the result of investigatory actions of great volume 10 persons related to the apparent criminal manifestations were identified, their actions were personalized.

On the base of the obtained evidence charge was pressed against former deputy head of State Environmental Inspection of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection according to the Points 2 and 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 311, the Part 2 of the Article 324 and the Part 1 of the Article 314 of RA Criminal Code. Detention was chosen as a pretrial measure against him and search was declared. Charge was pressed against former deputy head of Forest Control and Biodiversity Division of State Environmental Inspection according to the Part 1 of the Article 308, the Part 2 of the Article 308, the Part 2 of the Article 324 (2 counts), the Part 1 of the Article 314 (3 counts), the Points 2 and 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 311 (3 counts) and the Points 2 and 3 of the Part 3 of the Article 38-311 of RA Criminal Code. Charge was pressed against 5 former inspectors of the same division according to the Part 1 of the Article 314 of RA Criminal Code. Charge was pressed against one citizen for illegal tree-felling and giving bribe according to the Point 3 of the Part 2 of the Article 296 and the Part 1 of the Article 312 (6 counts). Charge was pressed against two more citizens for giving bribe according to the Part 1 of the Article 312, one of them for 7 counts, the other - two counts.

The case on the part of former deputy head of the division and three citizens was separated in a separate proceeding and with the bill of indictment was sent to court.

Prosecution against five former employees of Forest Control and Biodiversity Division of State Environmental Inspection of the RA Ministry of Nature Protection was terminated pursuant to provisions of the RA Law «On Declaring Amnesty within Criminal Cases Related to the 2800th Anniversary of Foundation of Erebuni-Yerevan and the 100th Anniversary of Independence Declaration of the First Republic of Armenia». 

Within the criminal case under investigation active investigatory and operative-searching measures are ongoing to find the wanted - former deputy head of State Environmental Inspection, to find out the frame of those possibly related to illegal tree-felling, corruption manifestations, to personalize the actions of each of them and to give appropriate criminal legal assessment.


Note; Everyone charged with alleged crime offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.