A consistent criminal-legal fight against illegal cutting of trees continues with active cooperation between the RA Prosecutor's Office and its territorial subdivisions, other criminal prosecution bodies and competent agencies.
During the first half of 2020 as a result of the operational-search measures taken by the Subdivisions of the Department of Tavush region of the RA Police, the activities of the employees of "Hayantar" SNCO in the territory of the region, 273 cases of illegal tree cutting were registered, which is by 64 or 31% more compared with the same period of the last year. By 64 were initiated criminal cases, which is by 25% more compared with the same period of the last year.
Such indicators are due to the consistent work carried out in the direction of disclosing such cases of a latent nature, properly registering cases of illegal cutting, improving the registration rates.
The damage caused to the state within the framework of criminal cases initiated and investigated regarding the cases of illegal tree cutting under the procedural lead of prosecutors of the Prosecutor's Office of Tavush region amounted to 132․909․458 AMD. With a view to recover 17.155.594 AMD the Prosecutor's Office sent 24 proposals to citizens. Measures are being taken to fully recover the amount of damage.
The positive indicator for the disclosure of cases of criminal offenses is also due to the criminal policy adopted by the RA Prosecutor's Office - to make possible corruption involvement of officials responsible for forests a subject of mandatory investigation. This increases the vigilance of the latter regarding the storage of forestry, registering cases of tree cutting, informing the law enforcement agencies about the violations.
Due to the unfair or negligent attitude to the service by the competent officials of "Hayantar" SNCO regarding non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of their duties, 4 criminal cases were initiated under the procedural lead of the prosecutors of the Prosecutor's Office of Tavush region. The damage caused to the state as a result of unfair or negligent attitude to the service by competent officials amounted to 7.743.000 AMD. These criminal cases are at the stage of preliminary investigation.
For the first half of 2020 compared with the same period of last year, the number of criminal cases sent to court with indictment was increased by 26%. In particular, if for the first half of 2019 17 criminal cases were sent to the court against 17 persons, then for the same period of 2020, 21 criminal cases against 23 persons.
The amount of compensation for damage caused to the state by cases of illegal tree cutting registered by completed criminal cases (10) amounted to 3.891.620 AMD, and a part of this amount was restored. And in order to recover the rest the prosecutors of the Prosecutor's Office of Tavush region offered the competent state body to submit appropriate lawsuit within a reasonable time.
Within the framework of this criminal case, the Prosecutor's Office sent to the competent authorities and state bodies of “Hayantar” SNCO 6 messages and 1 petition to carry out an official investigation. In addition, under Article 200 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code, with a view to eliminate the causes and conditions contributing to crimes of this nature, 3 petitions were addressed to the relevant bodies.
