Video: State Suffered Over 3 Billion Dram in Damages

Based on information received by the Police's Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Directorate, factual data has been obtained indicating that the management of a private company acquired a 5-hectare agricultural land parcel in the Aragatsotn province's Aragatsavan community in August 2017. This acquisition was based on the conclusion of an auction committee.

Following this, on August 16, 2017, the Ministry of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources provided the company with the right for temporary possession and utilization of 4.5 hectares of the third site of the Arteni obsidian deposit for a period of 4 years, with a total of 105,000 tons of valuable mineral reserves.

Additionally, on August 29, 2017, the company obtained a special permit for the extraction of valuable minerals under a subsoil use agreement. However, instead of conducting legal activities, the management organized and carried out mining activities at the designated site between 2017 and 2021. During this period, the company extracted a total of 11,589 cubic meters or 27,141,438 kilograms of obsidian but reported only 286 cubic meters or 672,100 kilograms to the tax authorities, thereby intentionally falsifying submitted declarations and documents.

This manipulation allowed the company to evade tax liabilities amounting to a total of 3 billion, 427 million, 754 thousand drams, which is considered particularly large. A criminal case has been opened in this regard by the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Directorate, which has been forwarded to the Investigative Committee of the State Revenue Committee.