The General Department for the Investigation of Crimes against the State, the Foundations of the Constitutional Order and Public Security of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has completed the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against the former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia S.O., the former Minister of Environmental Protection A.M. and four other persons.
S.O., being a person obliged to submit a declaration, concealed information about a 10,526 square meter land plot in the Gegharkunik region and the buildings located on it in the annual declaration submitted in 2021, which led to the failure to declare property on an especially large scale.
During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, obvious factual data were obtained that a state political servant holding a high-ranking official position, without legal grounds, seized a state land plot of 10,526 square meters, located in the Gegharkunik region, located on the territory of the Sevan National Park State Non-Commercial Organization, and with the direct participation of the former head of the Capital Construction and Housing Department of the RA Ministry of Defense, which was subordinate to him, A.G., as well as other persons who did not have the right to build, built unauthorized buildings for himself and his family, the value of which exceeds the minimum amount of property obtained by criminal means in an especially large amount, as provided for by the Criminal Code of the RA. During the specified period, the said officials, using their official powers and influence, in order to carry out repair and reconstruction work on a private house belonging to a person who was in their official dependence, attracted a construction company belonging to the family of G.B., who held the position of the former head of the production and technical department of the same department associated with A.G., to carry out construction work. The construction work carried out by this company, in the amount of about 58 million drams, was provided to them as a benefit at the request of officials, using their state and official powers, as well as the influence they exert, to commit actions in favor of the bribe giver and his affiliates.
In addition, the relevant officials of the Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia, in particular, the former Minister of Nature Protection A.M., having received information that a state land plot of 10,526 square meters located in the Gegharkunik region on the territory of the Sevan National Park SNCO, had been seized by a high-ranking official holding a state political position, and illegal buildings had already been erected on the land plot, in order to conceal them and give them a legal appearance, abusing their official powers, they organized an official tender for the lease of the land plot.
S.O., with the intention of concealing the circumstances of his seizure of the above-mentioned land plot located on the territory of the Sevan National Park State Non-Commercial Organization and the circumstances of the illegal construction of buildings and structures on it without the right to develop, concealing the criminal origin of the real estate, not revealing his participation in the illegal transaction, thereby concealing and distorting the actual right of ownership of the property, as well as for the purpose of legalizing the land plot actually seized by him and the structures built on it, ensured that the son of his driver’s cousin submitted a corresponding application and a business plan for construction to the interdepartmental competition committee created for the purpose of leasing and (or) developing land plots of specially protected natural areas of the Republic of Armenia. Then, the officials who were part of the said interdepartmental competition committee, violating the requirements of the RA Government Resolution establishing the procedure for holding the competition, out of personal interest and on the basis of group interests, provided the above-mentioned land plot of the specially protected natural area of the Republic of Armenia for lease and development for a period of 25 years to the above-mentioned person, which, through negligence, entailed grave consequences.
Thus, a high-ranking official holding a state political position, S.O., using his official position contrary to the interests of the service, for selfish and personal purposes, without legal grounds seized and occupied a land plot of 10,526 square meters in the Gegharkunik region, which is a specially protected natural area and is part of the territory of the Sevan National Park SNCO, and in the absence of the right to development, instructed his subordinate, who held the position of the head of the Capital Construction and Housing Department of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, A.G. and other persons, with the involvement of construction organizations and their employees who participated in the procurement conducted by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, to organize and ensure the construction of a private house for them.
At the same time, the protection of the said territory and the property located there was carried out by the employees of the military police of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia on the instructions of a high-ranking official holding a state political position, who was paid a salary of at least 13 million 120 thousand drams from the state budget of the Republic of Armenia during the period from 2011 to 2016.
Thus, due to the position held and the position of S.O., the relevant local government body, as well as the employees of the Sevan National Park SNCO, did not take any measures to prevent the unauthorized seizure of state land plots, unauthorized construction of buildings and structures, record violations, apply measures of influence provided by law and eliminate the consequences of violations.
The head of the Department of Capital Construction and Housing Provision of Troops of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, A.G., acting on the instructions of his superior S.O. and with the involvement of construction organizations and their employees participating in purchases conducted by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, organized and ensured the unauthorized construction of a mansion consisting of several particularly large buildings in an illegally occupied specially protected natural area, in as a result of which the property of a high-ranking official holding a state political office increased by an amount significantly exceeding his legal income.
Thus, as a result of the use of official position by high-ranking officials for selfish, personal or other interests contrary to the interests of the service, and the abuse of official powers, significant harm was caused to the legitimate interests of society and the state, and grave consequences arose due to negligence: the normal activities of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and its subdivision – the Department of Capital Construction and Housing Provision of Troops were disrupted, the normal course of procurement with the participation of the above-mentioned state body and subdivision was disrupted, officials and organizations participating in public procurement processes were involved in the construction of unauthorized buildings in a specially protected area of the occupied nature, the Sevan National Park SNCO was deprived of the opportunity to use the above-mentioned territory for its intended purpose, employees of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia were involved in the performance of functions not arising from official necessity, and the latter were paid an especially large amount as a salary from the state budget of the Republic of Armenia. On June 9, 2025, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia issued a decision on the legality of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case. Based on the proposal of the prosecutor supervising the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia submitted two motions to consent to the initiation of a public criminal prosecution against MPs of the eighth convocation S.O. and A.M., which were approved by the National Assembly on July 7, 2025 as a result of voting.
During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against S.O. A public criminal prosecution was instituted under Article 441, Part 2, Clauses 2, 4 and 5 (abuse of official powers or official influence obtained as a result of this by an official), Article 435, Part 3, Clause 3 (accepting a bribe on an especially large scale), Article 296, Part 3, Clause 3 (money laundering on an especially large scale), Article 444, Part 2 (submission by a person obliged to submit a declaration of knowingly false information, concealment or failure to submit information subject to declaration). (who submitted an application in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia), with respect to A.G. – under Article 435, Part 3, Clause 3 (accepting a bribe on an especially large scale), with respect to L.B. – under Article 436, Part 1 (giving a bribe), with respect to A.M. – under Article 441, Part 2, Clause 5 (abuse of official or service powers or influence arising therefrom, or delegation of powers by an official), in relation to B.Kh. and E.G. – under Article 46-296, Part 3, Clause 3 (facilitation of money laundering on an especially large scale).
The criminal proceedings against 6 persons have been separated into separate proceedings and sent with the indictment to the supervising prosecutor for approval and a motion to transfer the case to court for consideration on the merits.
Note: A person accused of committing a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in the manner prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code or by a court verdict that has entered into legal force.