Corruption Violations by Forest Rangers of 'Hayantar' and 'Dilijan National Park' State Non-Commercial Organizations

In the Tavush region, the fight against illegal logging and corruption in this sector continues. On October 24, 2019, while operationally responding to information, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ijevan Police, in cooperation with employees of the Tavush territorial division of the Environment Protection Ministry, uncovered iron containers filled with wooden materials intended for charcoal production, 202 bags filled with charcoal, and approximately 8 cubic meters of firewood at the Ijevan Forestry of the 'Hayantar' State Non-Commercial Organization.

It was determined that the aforementioned containers were components of a charcoal production facility owned by a forest ranger from the Ijevan Forestry of the 'Hayantar' organization. However, it was found to be exploited by another individual. The individual had acquired a ticket for bulk wood material from the Ijevan Forestry, after which he transported a total of 16 cubic meters of wood in two phases (8-9 trips) from the 6th sub-section using a UAZ vehicle, piled it up, and then part of it was burned to turn into charcoal. The prepared charcoal was then packed into sacks with another person.

Based on the data obtained from the preparatory materials, it was revealed that during the second phase, the wood material was removed under the name of a completely different person and without proper documentation on the ticket, which was transferred to the person operating the production facility only in October 2019, after the discovery and registration of the wood materials and charcoal by the police.

The investigative body concluded that the person operating the facility had obtained the bulk wood material by utilizing a privilege specified in the RA Government Decision No. 1535-N dated October 27, 2011, concerning the procurement of firewood; however, he violated the conditions for the procurement and release of free bulk firewood for non-productive purposes, according to which bulk wood material is provided only to the population for heating their residences for non-productive purposes. This matter falls under the domain of administrative violations rather than criminal offenses. Consequently, on November 4, 2019, the investigator decided to reject the initiation of a criminal case based on the absence of a criminal offense under Articles 296 and 216 of the RA Criminal Code regarding the actions of the person who operated the facility and harvested wood from the forest.

However, upon reviewing the materials at the Tavush regional prosecutor's office and checking the legality of the investigator's decision, it became evident that the materials prepared for this incident were incomplete, several necessary investigative actions had not been performed, and the actions of the forest ranger, who is a public official, had not been assessed legally.

The information service of the RA Prosecutor General's office announced that, meanwhile, the prepared materials contained data that visibly indicate not only the provision of his vehicle to illegally transport the wood material from the forest but also the direct involvement of the forest ranger in concealing the illegal removal of wood by providing a usage ticket for the wood material registered under a third person's name.

Taking these circumstances into account, the Tavush regional prosecutor's office decided to annul the investigator's decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case and to initiate a criminal investigation under the first part of Article 308 and Article 326 of the RA Criminal Code. The preliminary investigation has been entrusted to the Tavush regional investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee.

Additionally, at the Tavush regional prosecutor's office, a charge was confirmed regarding the bribery and receiving of bribes concerning the illegal removal of firewood from the forest ranger's territory of the branch of the 'Dilijan National Park' SNCO. In this case, charges have been brought under the first part of Article 311 and Article 312 of the RA Criminal Code against a forest ranger from one of the sections of the branch, as well as a person involved in the criminal scheme with him, both of whom have accepted their guilt.

The criminal case has been sent to the Tavush regional court of general jurisdiction for substantive examination.