Former Deputy Chief of General Staff Stepan Galstyan Testifies Against David Tonoyan

Former Minister of Defense David Tonoyan is being investigated in a criminal case, and Stepan Galstyan, the former deputy chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, has provided testimony in relation to this case. According to reports received by the daily newspaper 'Zhoghvor', when specific questions were posed to Galstyan regarding the supply of military materials at the National Security Service (NSS), he stated that he was unaware of the purchasing process and thus could not have been involved.

Further details regarding what Galstyan relayed to the authorities are being withheld for now to avoid compromising the investigation. It should be noted that Galstyan had not previously given any testimony, but has recently communicated what he knows to law enforcement.

The investigative body is currently awaiting testimony from former Minister of Defense David Tonoyan, who has yet to provide his statement.

Moreover, according to information received by Armlur.am, the health condition of Stepan Galstyan has deteriorated in the Yerevan Central Penitentiary, colloquially known as the 'KGB basement'. Reports indicate that his lawyer, Onik Arakelyan, has contacted the 'Penitentiary Medicine Center' to request his transfer to a hospital for surgery; however, no action has been taken by the center as of yet.

To remind, Galstyan was detained amid an investigation into abuses and particularly large-scale thefts in the process of supplying military materials for the needs of the Armed Forces of Armenia. He is charged with abuse of official position leading to serious consequences and forgery in office.

The NSS previously conducted searches in the residences of former Minister of Defense David Tonoyan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Stepan Galstyan, and former Chief of Military Aviation Avetik Muradyan. By court decision, both David Tonoyan and arms supplier David Galstyan (Patron David) have also been detained for two months.