Criminal Proceedings Launched Against Former Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan

During the years 2016-2018, V. S., who held the position of Minister of Defense of Armenia, deliberately acted outside his authority in the process of distributing apartments at the multi-apartment building located at 25/6 G. Hasratyan Street in Yerevan, which was on the Ministry's balance as of January 2018. As a result, significant harm was caused to individuals' rights, legitimate interests, as well as the legal interests of the state, leading to severe consequences through negligence.

This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office. According to the Prosecutor's message, sufficient factual data has been obtained indicating that for the purpose of allocating 71 apartments to soldiers in need of better housing conditions from the aforementioned building on the Ministry's balance, in disregard of the conditions, procedures, and priorities established by the resolution No. 384-N of the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated March 7, 2007, which regulates the provision of housing for soldiers of the Ministry of Defense system, V. S. instructed members of the Ministry's Central Housing Commission to allocate apartments to 26 soldiers of his choice who were either not listed in the housing registry or had been included in the lists at a later time, as well as to three individuals who are not soldiers in the Ministry's system.

Basing the decision on this instruction, the Commission made an obviously illegal decision, resulting in the allocation of apartments from the aforementioned building without charge to soldiers who were either not listed in the housing registry or had been included in the housing registry at a later stage, as well as to individuals who are not soldiers of the Ministry of Defense, which caused significant harm to individuals’ rights and interests, as well as the legal interests of the state, resulting in severe consequences through negligence.

In particular, many beneficiaries who truly needed housing assistance within the Ministry system were deprived of their legally guaranteed right to acquire apartments without charge as provided by Armenian legislation, despite being listed in the housing registry for years, while the Ministry was deprived of the actual opportunity to provide many of its apartments for free use, which would have enabled the effective implementation of the social security issues of the soldiers.

On February 8, 2023, the prosecutor overseeing the legality of the criminal proceedings made decisions to launch public criminal proceedings against former Minister V. S. under the third part of Article 309 of the RA Criminal Code adopted on April 18, 2003 (corresponding to the fifth subparagraph of the second part of Article 441 of the current RA Criminal Code), as well as against five members of the Central Housing Commission of the Ministry of Defense under the second part of Article 308 of the RA Criminal Code (also corresponding to the fifth subparagraph of the second part of Article 441 of the current Criminal Code). The latter have been charged.

Simultaneously, a motion has been submitted to the court to apply detention as a measure of restraint against the accused V. S.