David Galstyan (Patron Davo) Issues Statement

Businessman David Galstyan, known as "Patron Davo" and engaged in arms trading, has issued a statement.

"Just as I consider the previous criminal case against me, regarding the supply of so-called ‘low-quality’ ammunition from 1977, to be fabricated, I view this case in the same light. The NSS illegally detained me for about four months under the previous case. Nearly a year after the initiation of the case and through the efforts of my legal team, the supposed ‘expired’ and ‘low-quality’ ammunition was finally tested, confirming it had no quality issues and fully met the technical specifications set forth in the contract and fulfilled combat tasks.

Despite the findings of that case, in this new case, the pre-trial body, under the auspices of the Prosecutor General's Office, continues its despicable practices by illegally detaining me and several former and current high-ranking officials without any expert evaluation or actual testing. Currently, they are demonstrating complete inaction and are failing to take meaningful steps to initiate the testing process.

To note the non-objective and illogical actions of the pre-trial body, one does not need to be a lawyer or have special knowledge. Since the expert evaluation that was supposed to be conducted since July has not been carried out, and the missiles in question have not been tested, the Prosecutor's Office and NSS, following the well-known modus operandi, have detained several individuals directly involved in ensuring our state’s security, exerting pressure on them and accusing them of supplying and acquiring defective and unfit missiles, simply attempting to confuse the public.

Moreover, this process is accompanied by public statements from individuals involved in the political life unrelated to the trial, both by the pre-trial body and externally.

It is evident that among various circumstances, certain forces aim to push me out of this sector by fabricating such cases to pave the way for other interested individuals. However, the analysis of the past year indicates that even competitors in unequal conditions have failed in everything. Therefore, I believe this fact should primarily concern the NSS and other responsible agencies, as it poses a direct threat to the combat readiness of the Armenian Armed Forces and the security of the country.

At the same time, I want to make it clear that despite the ongoing illegal actions against me and the companies I lead, which negatively impact both the supply processes and the high trust and good reputation we have built over the years with partner countries and organizations, our team is making every effort to fulfill all our supply obligations in an appropriate manner, even under the current conditions,” the statement reads.

It is worth noting that on February 2, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan, chaired by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, accepted the NSS’s request to detain David Galstyan, known as "Patron Davo." According to the NSS, David Galstyan has embezzled a significant amount of money from the Ministry of Defense. Galstyan issued a statement highlighting that “either the pre-trial body has not demonstrated sufficient professionalism, or is attempting to create the illusion that the military has been supplied with ammunition from the 1970s.”