Within the criminal case investigated in the Investigative Division of Arabkir administrative district of Yerevan Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee a number of circumstances of providing National Assembly with medals made of other metal instead of silver ones were found out. The Head of Administrative Supply Department of Staff of National Assembly was arrested.

On June 24, 2019 a report was submitted in Arabkir Police Division by the employee of Legal Provision Division of the RA National Assembly informing that from September to December, 2016 instead of silver medals envisaged by a contract those made of other metal were provided to the RA National Assembly causing pecuniary damage.

A criminal case was initiated in Arabkir Police Division according to the Point 1 of the Part 3 of the Article 178 of RA Criminal Code which was sent to the Investigative Division of Arabkir administrative district of Yerevan Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee and received in proceeding.

Pursuant to initial data, the employees of the RA National Assembly Staff, using their official position against service interests, from 2015 to 2017 willfully bypassing a number of provisions stipulated by the RA «Law on Procurement», declared and implemented purchases of «Medal of Honor of RA National Assembly» and «Medal of Speaker of National Assembly» within which medals corresponding to orders of the Speaker of National Assembly should have been procured  from an LLC or entrepreneur which, pursuant to technical specifications, should have been made of silver covered with a gold layer.

During preliminary investigation a number of investigatory actions were conducted – all the documents on the above-mentioned purchases, personal files of the employees involved in the processes, invoices, storage entry and exit documents, as well as all the medals in the store of NA staff were confiscated. Searches were conducted in the apartments of NA staff employees.

In the result of investigatory actions conducted within the criminal case actual data were obtained on swindling money in particularly large amount - 9.359.083  AMD committed by the Head of Logistics Department of Case Management of NA Staff by squandering, abusing his official position.

Thus, the head of the department possessing organizational and administrative powers – that is organizing the logistic provision for NA sessions, parliamentary hearings, other official and ceremonial events, engaged in product marketing, organizing the procurement, storage and provision of products, with the purpose of helping his acquaintance engaged in jewelry, breached the decisions on defining the forms of medals and from 2015 to 2017 organized processes of procurement of medals for 32.000 – 40.000 AMD – substantially higher than market prices not corresponding to defined technical specification.

Particularly, in 2015 – 2016 pursuant to agreements signed with his acquaintance engaged in jewelry, pursuant to invoices made in the result of 7 purchase processes with the LLC which belonged to his acquaintance as well as 3 purchase processes with entrepreneur registered in the name of the mentioned LLC director’s friend 12.338.500 AMD, in total, was transferred for 278 silver «Medal of Speaker of National Assembly» and 75 «Medal of Honor of RA National Assembly» covered with golden layer.

However, the LLC director reaching prior agreement with the Head of Logistics Department of Case Management of NA Staff, instead of the above-mentioned medals provided medals in the same number for 3.726-4.206 AMD made of copper-zinc alloy cost 1.462.917 AMD, in total. As a result, money in particularly large amount - 9.359.083 AMD was swindled.

Pursuant to the result of forensic material examination commissioned within the criminal case the mentioned medals were made of copper-zinc alloy covered with an external layer containing gold.   

On September 19, 2019 the Head of Logistics Department of Case Management of NA Staff was arrested on suspicion of squandering funds of the RA NA Staff by abuse of official power.

Preliminary investigation is ongoing. Necessary investigatory actions are conducted to provide the comprehensive, complete and objective investigation of circumstances of the case.

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