David Tonoyan and Nikol Pashinyan Are Lying: Movses Hakobyan

The former Minister of Defense, David Tonoyan, who has been in custody since September of last year, continues to make statements from the penitentiary. Today, he referred to remarks made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the National Assembly.

“On April 13, 2023, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in the National Assembly that ‘for the first time a few days after the war, I learned that there was a problem with helmets and body armor in the army.’ I responsibly declare that the demand for the armament and military equipment of the RA Armed Forces, including helmets and body armor, is detailed in the ‘Arms and Military Equipment Development Program,’ which was last confirmed by the RA government during Nikol Pashinyan's tenure,” Tonoyan stated.

Movses Hakobyan, who served as the head of the Military Surveillance Service and the Chief Military Inspector during Tonoyan's tenure, commented on Tonoyan's statement regarding the issues of helmets and body armor in an interview with ‘Hraparak.’ He noted that both Nikol Pashinyan and David Tonoyan are lying about this matter: “Tonoyan must understand, as Minister of Defense, that the Development Plan is not confirmed in the government session but is approved by the Security Council. That is the first thing he should learn before he can become Minister of Defense. Secondly, the Armed Forces, the existing forces, and the personnel who were assigned during the war had helmets and body armor for everyone, but it was not provided for volunteers, which is illegal. Volunteer units are illegal structures; no law or decree provides for them. What Nikol Pashinyan said pertains to the volunteer units going to the army, which were not provided with helmets and body armor. The disintegration of the army has laid the foundation for our defeat; I am not saying anything bad… that was a great damage,” he stated.

It is worth noting that Tonoyan is accused of embezzling 2,277,323,840 AMD and committing forgeries or public dangerous acts. His detention was chosen as a measure of restraint. Also charged in this case are David Galstyan, the head of the company supplying weapons to Armenia, and Stepan Galstyan, the Deputy Chief of Staff, who are also in custody.