Large-Scale Abuses: Charges Filed Against Shamlugh Community Mayor

The Police of Armenia has acquired information regarding the former head of the Shamlugh community in the Lori Province, who employed a friend as a driver in 2007 and his brother as a water line inspector in 2012. However, they did not actually attend work or fulfill their functional duties until October 2017.

The Public Relations Department of the General Prosecutor's Office of Armenia informs that to conceal this fact and to secure additional income for their families, the community head fabricated "Time Attendance Reports" containing false information, including the attendance and working hours of his friend from 2007-2017 and of his brother from 2012-2017. Consequently, these fraudulent documents were submitted for payment, resulting in approximately 8.7 million AMD being unjustly withdrawn from the community budget in the form of salaries for the non-working years under the name of the person registered as the driver, and over 6.5 million AMD under the name of his brother registered as the water line inspector, which were essentially misappropriated from the community budget through mismanagement.

On the case, on February 18, 2019, the Tumanyan Division of the Lori Provincial Police initiated a criminal case based on Article 179, Part 3, Point 1 (2 episodes) and Article 314, Part 1 (2 episodes) of the RA Criminal Code, following the characteristics of the crimes described.

Based on the instructions from the prosecutor supervising the criminal case, on May 30, 2019, the investigator decided to impose a precautionary measure of non-leaving against the former head of the Shamlugh community, L.B. During interrogation as a suspect, L.B. provided self-incriminating testimony. On June 6, 2019, the investigator decided to charge him as a suspect under Article 179, Part 3, Point 1 and Article 314, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code.

During the subsequent investigation, on July 18, 2019, decisions were made to modify the charges against L.B., including being charged under Article 179, Part 3, Point 1 and Article 314, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code. In the presented charges, L.B. fully acknowledged his guilt and has compensated the community for a total of 15,231,651 AMD in damages.

On July 18, 2019, a decision was made not to pursue criminal prosecution against S.B., the former secretary of the Shamlugh community, for committing an act described in Article 325, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code, based on the adoption of a law on amnesty.

On July 25, 2019, the Lori Regional Prosecutor's Office received criminal case number 55 151 619 with an indictment proposal from the Lori Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia. On July 29, a decision was made to approve the indictment, and the criminal case was sent to the Lori Regional Court of General Jurisdiction.