The fight of the RA Prosecutor General's Office against illegal cutting of forests, especially in the direction of detecting official crimes and identifying officials who have shown negligence in performing their duties and bringing them to criminal liability, along with other law enforcement agencies, continues throughout the territory of the republic, including in Shirak region.
In particular, by the prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Shirak region, when fulfilling the competence by the materials prepared in connection with the revealed data regarding the manifestation of official negligence by officials of t Gyumri forestry branch of Hayantar SNCO on September 03, 2021 a criminal case was initiated.
By the preliminary investigation carried out in Investigative Department of Shirak region of the RA Investigative Committee was substantiated that the forester and engineer of forestry of Ashotsk were obliged, each within their competence, to carry out forestry management, to protect the work carried out in forestry, to identify and state all violations of the RA forestry legislation, exercise control over the supervision process, make regular visits, check documents for the right to forest use, establish control over their execution by forest users, etc.
However, by showing negligence in relation to their service, they did not properly fulfill theeir obligations imposed on them. In particular, they did not carry out regular visits, did not draw up protocols regarding visits and violations, as a result of which, from October 2020 until May 2021 on the territory of the forestry of Ashotsk, a total of 351 pines of various sizes were illegally felled. As a result, the rights and legitimate interests of the organization and the state were damaged in the amount of 7 million AMD.
Later, during the spring inspections, the stumps of these trees were detected and registered by the employees of "Gyumri Forestry" branch of "Hayantar" SNCO.
For the commission of these criminal acts under Part 1 of Art. 315 of the RA Criminal Code were charged the forester, forestry engineer of Ashotsk, foresters of departments No. 1 and No. 6.
The preliminary investigation was completed, the prosecutor approved the indictment and for the consideration on the merits the criminal case with the indictment against 4 people was sent to the court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of the Shirak region.
The RA Prosecutor's Office will also present the results of the fight against official crimes that lead to illegal logging in other regions of the republic.
Notice: Every person suspected in or charged with a criminal offense shall be presumed innocent unless proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code and unless the verdict comes into legal force.
