One Person Arrested on Charges of Fraudulently Stealing Various Amounts from Artsakh Refugees

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has charged one individual in connection with a case involving the fraudulent appropriation of various amounts of money from residents of Artsakh who hold refugee status in Armenia. The individual has been detained as a measure to ensure their presence during the investigation.

During the investigation, which was conducted in cooperation with officers of the RA Police, several circumstances were revealed, including the identities of the individuals allegedly committing the crime and the mechanisms of the fraud.

It has been established that two individuals took advantage of the situation of residents of the Republic of Artsakh being left homeless during the war and their acquisition of refugee status. They organized the process of allocating housing for refugees within the framework of relevant government programs, under the pretext of making payments and resolving other issues, with the intention of committing large-scale theft of property belonging to others.

Specifically, one of them posed as a law enforcement officer, assuring that through a friend in a senior government position, they could facilitate the allocation of housing in Yerevan and required payments. They solicited 6,000,000, 3,000,000, 4,475,000 Armenian drams, and 1,000 US dollars from the victims under the pretext of preparing fake payment documents and certificates for the allocation of the housing.

Initially, they received various amounts of money as a down payment, presenting false payment documents, fake invoices, and counterfeit ownership certificates for the housing while assuring that the allocation would occur within a short time frame. Subsequently, during further meetings, citing reasons related to making the necessary payments, they received the remaining amounts of money, while avoiding follow-up meetings for various reasons in the ensuing days.

Based on sufficient evidence gathered during the pre-trial investigation, one person has been charged under the provisions of Article 178, Part 3, Clause 1 of the RA Criminal Code (fraud), Article 178, Part 2, Clauses 1 and 2, as well as Article 34-178 (attempted fraud), Part 3, Clause 1, and Article 325 (forgery of documentation, stamps, seals, forms, and vehicle registration numbers), Part 2 (two episodes). A motion has been submitted to the court to impose pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint, which has been granted.

Efforts are underway to locate the other members of the criminal group and present them to the prosecuting authorities. The investigation is ongoing.