Preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated on abuses recorded in the process of seed distribution to beneficiaries within state support program was completed in Tavush Regional Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee. Charge was pressed against the head of Artsvaberd community.

Thus, within the program confirmed by the RA Government’s decision “On Confirmation of Development Program of Wheat Seed Breeding and Seed Production as well as Permission of Seed Import in Armenia from 2010 to 2014” the “Seed Agency” SNCO of the RA Ministry of Agriculture procured wheat seed from the Russian Federation and imported to Armenia. Pursuant to the order prescribed, each community submitted an application to provincial administration presenting the number of persons registered for wheat seed based on which the provincial administration submitted an application to the RA SNCO and received wheat seed in the quantity presented in the application. It was later taken to relevant communities by the community heads and distributed to land users who had been registered in advance.

Pursuant to data obtained through investigation, in 2013 20 tones, in 2014 78.75 tones, in 2015 74.9 tones of autumn seed of first reproduction was given to Artsvaberd community of Tavush province by “Seed Agency” SNCO which was taken to the community and stored in community administration by a representative of the community. The residents who had already been registered for autumn seeds received their seeds from the relevant employee of the community administration the main part of which had paid the money in advance the rest of them had arranged to pay after the harvest. Each resident of the community signed in the relevant list for his name and the amount paid by him.

However, through preliminary investigation actual data were obtained that a number of abuses were committed in the process of seed distribution within the state support program in Artsvaberd community.

In the result of investigatory actions conducted during pretrial proceeding it was found out that the money collected from villagers for seeds had been managed by community heads, at their own discretion, submitting forged documents to provincial administration.

Particularly, within the program confirmed by the RA Government’s decision from 2014 to 2016 instead of transferring the money to the relevant bank account of “Seed Agency” SNCO of the RA Ministry of Agriculture, the community head abusing his official position squandered a part of the money - 22.469.000 AMD collected for the autumn seeds of first reproduction received from the mentioned SNCO from 2013 to 2015 and given to residents of Artsvaberd thus causing the state pecuniary damage in particularly large amount.

Through investigation actual data were also obtained that with the purpose of concealing the circumstance of squandering money in particularly large amount the community head, out of mercenary motives, abusing his official position, entered obviously false information in references “on providing land users of Artsvaberd community of Tavush province with seeds” formed in 2014 and 2015 and in 2016 entering false information he formed the reference “on debts for seeds provided to land users of Artsvaberd community of Tavush province from 2013 to 2015” and submitted them to provincial administration.  

On the base of the obtained sufficient evidence charge was pressed against the head of Artsvaberd community according to the Point 1 of the Part 3 of the Article 179 and the Part 1 of the Article 314 of RA Criminal Code. Signature not to leave was chosen as a pretrial measure against him.  

Preliminary investigation was completed and the criminal case with the bill of indictment was sent to prosecutor supervising the legality of preliminary investigation.

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