ArmInfo. The head of the programs of the office of the EU delegation in Armenia is charged, the press service of the Armenian Investigative Committee reports.
According to the report, the Investigation Department of the most important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia continues the production of a preliminary investigation into the criminal case instituted on the theft of grant funds provided by the EU delegation in Armenia on a particularly large scale.
In cooperation with the office of the delegation of the European Union in Armenia and the staff of the European Bureau for Combating Fraud, the body that carries out the production undertakes the necessary investigative and other procedural steps aimed at establishing the actual amounts of theft of the funds allocated to the grants and the circle of persons involved in this.
Taking into account the public interest, the IC informs that on the basis of the evidence obtained, the head of the programs of the office of the EU delegation in Armenia was charged under clause 1, part 3, article 178 (7 episodes) of the Armenian Criminal Code (Fraud in especially large amounts). An application was submitted to the court for applying preventive measures against the program manager in the form of detention.
"The preliminary investigation continues, active investigative actions are being carried out aimed at providing a comprehensive, objective and complete investigation of the data obtained by the investigation," the ministry said.
In the eve, the European Union Delegation to Armenia informed the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) about possible violations in connection with the programs financed by the EU. As the press service of the EU delegation to Armenia told ArmInfo, the European Bureau for Fighting Fraud conducted an investigation and informed the Armenian authorities about it, which, on the proposal of the office, is carrying out an investigation of the case. "The EU fully adheres to the fight against corruption and organized crime and will continue to help implement a full, effective and transparent investigation in connection with any violation. The delegation of the European Union in Armenia reminds that the presumption of innocence should be applied," the report reads.
To note, in the framework of the preliminary investigation, on suspicion of stealing a large sum of money from the grants allocated by the European Union Delegation to Armenia, on April 26, 2017, the coordinator of the grant programs of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Marina Papyan, was detained. According to the Criminal Code, 13 persons were involved as defendants, 3 of them were put on the wanted list.