Within the framework of one criminal case being investigated by the RA SIS, a criminal scheme was detected for extending the terms of the permit to carry and store hunting rifles, where not only police officers, but also employees of medical institutions were involved.

 

In particular, by the specified criminal case, factual data were obtained that, with the permission of the Central Division of the Department of Yerevan City of the RA Police, the senior inspector of the system, while fulfilling his official duties, was informed that the validity of the permit to carry and store hunting rifles of 5 residents of Yerevan was expired. By the violation of the requirements of the RA Law “On Firearms”, he organized and carried out the process of extending these terms.

 

The indicated people gave the police officers amounts of different sizes for organizing the process of extending terms of permission in order to make the necessary payments in the months of October and November of 2019. The latter, without making payments to obtain health information, having abused his powers in October and November 2019, on behalf of the Head of the Central Division of the RA Police sent inquiries to 2 mental health centers, received answers about the non-registration of these people in the indicated medical institutions, and then presented copies to the head of “Armenia” clinic. By the order of the head of the medical institution, chief nurse of the same clinic, the secretary of the medical commission, without organizing a medical examination of these people compiled deliberately false medical conclusions on diseases that don’t impede the possession of weapons, which were signed and concluded by the head and therapist of the clinic and handed over to the police officer.

 

The latter, under the name of these people, drew up, signed deliberately false applications on the extension of the terms of permission to carry and store weapons. By these false documents, during the preparation of these personal files on behalf of these people, he paid 19.200 AMD, and used 95.300 AMD for personal needs. Then, allegedly having examined their applications, he considered it possible to give permission to the indicated people and drew up permits for carrying and storing hunting rifles registered under the names of the latter, which, after the approval by the head of the division, gave them personally or through an intermediary.

 

It is noteworthy that the police officer, on the basis of deliberately false documents, drew up and signed one of the permits to extend the term for carrying and storing weapons under the name of a person who was not in the RA.

 

For the commission of the above mentioned acts, on March 10, 2020 the preliminary investigation body rendered a decision to involve the mentioned police officer as the accused under Part 1 of Art. 308 and Part of 1 Art. 314 (by 5 counts) of the RA Criminal Code.

 

The existence of such a criminal scheme, as well as the fact that the terms for permission were extended illegally under the conditions of absence from the RA, is the basis to think that the described illegal mechanisms can be applied or are applied in other territories of the republic too.

 

Taking into account the importance and urgency of the issue, the RA Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan sent a letter to the Acting Chief of the RA Police A. Sargsyan with a view to verify other possible cases, circumstances and the presence of such criminal schemes to extend the terms of permission to carry and store a hunting rifle and inform the RA Prosecutor General's Office about the results.

 

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.