State Suffered a Damage of 12 Billion Drams: Corruption Crimes in the Armed Forces

The Armenian Military Prosecutor's Office has analyzed the results of its activities in combating corruption and protecting state interests in the Armed Forces and other military units within the framework of its functions in 2019.

According to the report, 154 cases of corruption-related crimes were recorded during 2019. Based on the materials prepared under the procedural guidance and supervision of the prosecutors of the Armenian Military Prosecutor's Office, criminal cases were initiated in 145 instances. Among these, 63 cases stemmed from abuse of power by commanders or officials, 29 from official forgery, 27 from theft through embezzlement or misappropriation in various amounts, 11 from receiving or giving bribes, 8 from abuse of official powers, 3 from fraud using official position, 3 from exceeding official authority, and 1 from the theft of weapons, ammunition, explosive substances, or explosive devices using official position.

In total, 296 criminal cases of a corruption nature were examined by investigative bodies during 2019. A total of 64 criminal cases involving 102 individuals were sent to court with a prosecutorial conclusion. The number of cases sent to court increased by 50 percent compared to the previous year.

It was also revealed that during 2019, the investigative bodies registered damages amounting to 786 million Armenian drams from completed and ongoing corruption-related criminal cases. Out of this amount, 410 million drams were recovered, while the preliminary investigations for some cases are still ongoing.

These figures indicate that, in addition to uncovering corruption crimes, military prosecution bodies prioritized resolving the criminal cases under investigation, avoiding unnecessary delays, and ensuring the accountability of individuals proven guilty within a reasonable timeframe.

Moreover, significant importance was placed on eliminating circumstances and causes contributing to the commission of corruption crimes, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of oversight regarding the receipt, preservation, and use of financial resources within various units of the armed forces. To this end, prosecutors sent 195 petitions and reports to the relevant authorities, as a result of which measures were taken toward resolving the raised issues, and officials and military personnel who violated standards established by the Armenian Armed Forces' disciplinary regulations were penalized.

Substantial work has been done in the context of implementing the prosecutorial function to protect state interests within the armed forces. Specifically, during 2019, 400 studies were conducted focusing on protecting state interests, during which a total of 230 violations were identified. These primarily related to supply services, weaponry, military medicine, capital construction, and troop accommodation areas. It is important to note that compared to 2018, the 2019 studies resulted in approximately 27.3% fewer identified violations, indicating efforts by competent authorities and unit leaders to address previously identified similar violations and eliminate their causes.

In 2019, a total of 175 warnings were issued regarding the voluntary restoration of damages caused to the state, which represents an increase of 70.3% compared to 2018. Furthermore, based on the data identified with the characteristics of apparent criminal offenses, 41 criminal cases were initiated.

Overall, damages to the state amounting to approximately 12 billion Armenian drams were recorded within the framework of the studies, which exceeds the results of 2018 (approximately 2 billion Armenian drams) by six times or is equal to the total amount of damages recorded from 2013 to 2018. Through prosecutorial interventions alone, a total of 1.2 billion Armenian drams were recovered, nearly double the amount recovered in 2018 (680 million Armenian drams). Measures are being taken to recover the remaining approximately 10.2 billion Armenian drams in property damages as part of the initiated criminal cases.