Colonel Stole Military-Assigned 'UAZ' Vehicle During Wartime, NSS Reports

The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has reported findings from a comprehensive investigation conducted by its investigative department concerning a criminal case. The investigation established a network of interconnected, credible, and sufficient evidence indicating that the high-ranking official H.D., from the Ministry of Defense's Military Control Service, exhibited unlawful behavior between September 2020 and January 2021, committing 12 instances of serious and especially serious crimes.

Specifically, H.D. solicited and received bribes totaling around 8 million Armenian drams from various citizens, misusing his authority and position to facilitate that individuals enlisted in mandatory military service, as well as those being called up for mobilization, would not be sent to the front lines, could serve in their preferred military units, and could leave their places of service voluntarily. His actions significantly disrupted the normal execution of tasks assigned to military units, compromised unit combat readiness, and hindered the process of organizing mobilization during a state of emergency.

Additionally, the investigation revealed that the colonel, fulfilling his official duties in Goris, Syunik Province, secretly stole a 'UAZ' vehicle belonging to 'Gazprom Armenia' LLC, valued at 3,680,000 Armenian drams, which had been allocated to the Ministry of Defense during the state of emergency in October and November 2020.

A total of 22 individuals have been implicated as defendants in the criminal case, with the proceedings for 13 of them being severed into a separate case. Their indictment was sent on November 12, 2021, to the prosecutor overseeing the legality of the preliminary investigation, for confirmation and forwarding to court, while the investigation continues regarding the remaining instances.

Notice: The presumed perpetrator or accused is considered innocent until proven guilty by a legally binding verdict of the court, in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia.