Irregularities at the National Center for Addiction Treatment

The Main Department of Criminal Police's Department for Fighting Corruption and Economic Crimes has uncovered irregularities related to contracts between the Ministry of Health's National Center for Addiction Treatment and a private company. Specifically, on February 1, 2015, and March 1, 2016, contracts worth 7 million 200 thousand and 7 million 420 thousand dram were signed for the provision of "Security and Protection Services" and "Hospital Assistance Services, Doorman-Nurse Services." Throughout these contracts, responsible officials at the National Center showed a lack of due diligence, failing to properly verify the conformity of the services rendered with technical specifications and not adhering to the requirements for the acceptance and delivery process. As a result, the services stipulated by the contracts were not actually provided by the contractor's employees, yet payments were made in full, causing a loss to the state of 14 million 620 thousand dram.

Additionally, in June 2016, the former director of the said center, abusing his official position with the intent to embezzle, organized the purchase of two Suzuki brand cars from the center's balance sheet for purported technical outfitting purposes, with the assistance of another individual. In this scheme, false official documents were created and mutually approved with a collaborating private entrepreneur, based on which a total of 950 thousand dram was transferred from the National Center for Addiction Treatment's account to said entrepreneur's account and embezzled.

In connection with these events, a criminal case has been initiated at the Main Department of Criminal Police's Department for Fighting Corruption and Economic Crimes, and it has been forwarded to the Investigative Committee.