Head of programs of office of EU delegation in Armenia is charged

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.