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As already reported, based on the publication by the Group of Public Monitors Implementing Supervision over Criminal-Executive Institutions of RA MoJ on suspicious purchases for the penitentiary facilities, on September 28, 2016, HCA Vanadzor submitted a crime report to the RA Special Investigation Service.

The Group’s publication particularly focused on the stewed meat and ghee supplied to the penitentiary facilities; the latter was produced by ‘H. Hovsepyan’ PE, which, however, according to www.e-register.am website, stopped its activities back in 2012, i.e. the product was actually produced by a company having no relevant documents for meat production. And ‘Danini’ company supplying ghee did not take part in the process of purchases for the penitentiary facilities and all the same supplied food at suspiciously low cost which may lead to further supply of less products than expected to recover the loss.

Within the measures taken in terms of the said crime report, H. Chalabyan, Investigator for High-Profile Cases at the RA Investigative Committee, established that the shares of ghee-supplying ‘Danini’ company were currently owned by ‘Hanesh Group’ LLC which realized the rest of the products at the Armenian branch of ‘Danini’ company by supplying to the penitentiary facilities the entire batch prescribed by the contract.

And it was at the order of the said ‘H. Hovsepyan’ PE that the stewed meat was supplied to the penitentiaries. According to the data obtained by the investigative agency, the production plant was first situated at 57 Artsakh Street and then moved to Jrvezh village in Kotayk marz (region) where it currently operates.

Citing the explanation of N. Javuktsyan, Chief Accountant at ‘Hamlet Hovsepyan’ PE, they add that since its very foundation the said production plant has never stopped its activities and that ‘H. Hovsepyan’ PE, who, according to www.e-register.am website, stopped his activities in 2012, “is not the private entrepreneur producing the canned stewed beef for the RA MoJ Penitentiary Department” and the initiation of criminal proceedings was rejected due to the lack of crime case.

Whereas, the examination by the Group of Monitors identified that the label on the stewed meat covers the production address “57, Artsakh Street, c. Yerevan” which suggests that even if there are different private entrepreneurs, there is another suspicious circumstance: why do the labels of the production plants operating in Jrvezh village of Kotayk marz (region) and having its legal address in Aparan town of Aragatsotn marz (region) contain the production address “57, Artsakh Street, c. Yerevan”?

However, this fact was not investigated by the investigative agency; the latter did not take all the required measures to ensure comprehensive, thorough and impartial examination of the circumstances of the case.

In response to the complaint on the above submitted to the RA Prosecutor General’s Office by HCA Vanadzor, H. Aslanyan, RA Deputy Prosecutor General, also approved the investigative agency’s position that the Private Entrepreneur which ceased his activities back in 2012 did not supply stewed meat to the penitentiary facilities and as for the address, he noted that the both said addresses concerned ‘Hamlet Hovsepyan’ PE’s activities and again failed to explain why the canned meat produced in Jrvezh village contained a note with address “57, Artsakh Street, c. Yerevan”.

Also, it makes no logic that the cases of abuse of power are investigated by the RA Investigative Committee whereas according to the provisions of the RA Criminal Code, such cases should be investigated by the investigators at the Special Investigative Service. However, the Deputy Prosecutor General sees no abuse of power by special public servants and considers the relevant circumstances in HCA Vanadzor’s complaint as unfounded by thus upholding the legality of the decree of H. Chalabyan, Investigator for High-Profile Cases at the RA Investigative Committee, of October 27, 2016.

The decree will be appealed in a court of law.