On 12 February, Anna Vardapetyan, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia paid a working visit to the Prosecutor’s Office of Kotayk region for the purpose of summarizing the work implemented by the Prosecutor’s Office of that region.

The Head of the National Security Service, Investigative Committee, and the heads of the regional departments of the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as well as prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office of that region participated in the discussion.

Sevak Poghosyan, Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of region represented the work implemented by the Prosecutor’s Office of Kotayk region during 2023: the report involved data on the crime situation, disclosure of crimes, oversight over the legality of the preliminary examination, pursuing a charge at a court as well as the works implemented in the field of protection of state interests. 

Referring to the crime situation the prosecutor of the region mentioned that pursuant to the data of the information center of the Police 3102 cases of crime were recorded in Kotayk region during 2023 (2519 cases during 2022). The cases of crime increased by 583 or 23.1 %, the disclosure rate decreased by 29.2%, while it was 47.1% during 2022.

42 cases of particularly grave crime (29 cases during 2022) were recorded during the reporting period, the number of cases increased by 13 or 44.8%, the disclosure rate decreased amounting to 38,3%, however during 2022 it amounted to 54,8%.

Referring to the cases of murder, attempted murder and banditry attack, the prosecutor of the region informed that 9 cases of banditry attack were recorded during 2023, while 6 cases were recorded during the previous year that is the number increased by 3 or 50%. The disclosure rate amounted to 11,1% while during 2022 it amounted to 100%.

The cases of murder (without the cases of sudden death) decreased by 1 amounting to 8 (9 cases during 2022). The disclosure rate amounted to 50 %, while during 2022 it amounted to 88,9%. 

The number of the cases of crimes against the economic activity decreased during 2023—63 cases (92 cases during 2022).

The cases of burglary also decreased, in particular 105 cases of burglary were recorded during 2023, while during 2022 it amounted to 128.

17 proceedings were initiated regarding the corruption crimes during the reporting period (13 proceedings during 2022). The cases are related to the fields of education and healthcare and local self-government bodies: the damage caused under the criminal proceedings amounted to AMD 17 million 883 thousand and AMD 14 million 810 thousand was recovered.

During 2023 the prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office of Kotayk region submitted 803 proceedings to the court with the signed indictment regarding 844 individuals (237 proceedings on 260 individuals during 2022).

A reconciliation proceedings was applied under 40 criminal cases regarding 40 individuals examined in the court during 2023.

13 claims initiated in the scope of the powers of the Prosecutor’s Office to initiate a claim on state (community) interest have been examined and is pending under the examination of the court during 2023 by the Prosecutor’s Office of Kotayk region (the amount of the claim was AMD 114 million 797 thousand  and USD 33 thousand 145).

Anna Vardapetyan, the Prosecutor General gave an assignment on focusing on the examinations related to the territories belonging to kindergartens, common use areas, water basins, forests as well as the territories included in the list of restrictions provided for by article 60 of the Land Code not subject to alienation.

Referring to the proceedings pending under examination for more than 8 months the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia addressed especially the proceedings related to the corruption crimes and discussed the cases of money laundering in the scope of those proceedings. The necessity of initiating a claim on state (community) interest protection shall be highlighted along with corruption proceedings.