On April 25, 2024 the Prosecutor signed the indictment on the criminal proceedings regarding the embezzlement of AMD 263 million 480 thousand  from the Ministry of Health and abuse of official powers by the former Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia and submitted it to the Anti-corruption court.

Due to the actions carried out in the scope of the criminal proceedings examined in the Anti-corruption committee, it was found out, that B.SH. cofounder and shareholder of one of the companies operating in the healthcare system and L.H., senior nurse of the same company organized and managed the involvement of false information in the epicrisis of the patients (on the treatment of the patients in the intensive care units) by the medical staff of the Company.

As a result from July 2020 until February 2022, more than 20 employees of the Company falsified 829 epicrisis, involving evidently false information (in addition to somatic department, patients were also treated in the intensive care units) on the natural history of the disease.

The Director of the Company submitted the reports drawn up on the basis of the abovementioned epicrises to the Ministry of Health. Based on them the Ministry calculated and transferred to the Company’s account additional AMD 263 million 482 thousand in addition to the amount paid for actually rendered services.

Under the criminal proceedings, several circumstances were disclosed, 

• B. Sh. told L.H. that the Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia exercising control over that field of medical care and service is his relative, thus convinced L.H. to fulfill his assignment.

• The person responsible for the classification of patients with coronavirus disease and triage of patients receiving treatment in the hospital or subject to discharge, informed the Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia during phone conversations, meetings as well as through submitted relevant reports, about the gross violations found in the treatment process of the coronavirus disease in the above medical institution.

• Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia being responsible for the coordination of the provision of medical care services necessary for the treatment of coronavirus as well as its financing, out of his personal interest, and taking into consideration the fact that B.Sh., Cofounding Director of the Company is his godfather, failed to terminate and permitted further financing of the Company. In addition he failed to fulfill his obligation of managing the provision of health care services and after receiving information on violations in the Company, he failed to give necessary assignments on the elimination of those violations.  

On March 11, 2024 the Prosecutor initiated a new public criminal prosecution against the former Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia under part 2 of article 308 and on March 19, 2024, against B.Sh. and L.H. under point 1 of part 3 of article 178 and part 2 of article 38-325 of the Criminal Code adopted on 18.04.2003.

On April 25, 2024 the signed indictment and materials of the criminal proceedings were submitted to the Anti-corruption court.

Notice:  A person charged with any crime shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the RA Criminal Procedure Code—by the judgment came into legal force.