Absence of 'Not for Sale or Made on Order of Ministry of Defense' Labels on Socks: Clarification

‘Arinj Mall’ retail center has issued a statement responding to reports that military products were being sold in the center. It turns out that the socks are produced by a private entity, as indicated by the labels on the socks, which include the address, manufacturer details, and barcode. Additionally, the socks do not have the label 'Not for Sale or Made on Order of Ministry of Defense', confirming that they are not intended for military personnel.

“There is a report circulating in the media claiming that military products, specifically socks, are being illegally sold at one of the booths in ‘Arinj Mall’. Although the booths located within the ‘Arinj Mall’ are leased to individual entrepreneurs, we find it necessary to refute this disinformation and inform the public that the products sold at this booth lack the 'Not for Sale or Made on Order of Ministry of Defense' labels. The products belong to a private company that also produces socks among other goods. Moreover, there is a barcode and the manufacturer’s address on the label, which are primary conditions for the product's saleability,” reads the statement from the management of ‘Arinj Mall’.

It should be noted that the Ombudsman’s office conducted an unannounced visit to the temporary shelter of the ‘Hans Christian Kofod’ charitable foundation for the homeless, after which a statement was issued mentioning the discovery of winter socks labeled as 'Soldier'. The Ombudsman’s staff stated that the results of the inspections would be sent to the prosecutor's office. Subsequently, the temporary shelter of the ‘Hans Christian Kofod’ foundation released a statement saying that the mentioned socks were produced by one of the operating LLCs in Armenia and are sold in ‘Arinj Mall’ booths at prices ranging from 80 to 150 AMD according to the seasonal range.