Hotelier Providing Shelter to Displaced Persons from Artsakh Accused of Fraud

The Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Artsakh reports: "In connection with the alleged fraudulent activities in the process of providing accommodation services to those displaced by the 44-day war in 2020, a criminal case has been initiated. According to the preliminary investigation conducted by an investigator from the Artsakh Investigative Committee, it has been established that the individual entrepreneur who rendered such services included false information in the monthly handover-acceptance acts, which are official documents of legal significance, stipulated in the hotel service provision agreement with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Artsakh. This included the names of individuals who did not reside in the hotel facilities provided by him. Through such deception and abuse of trust, with selfish motives and a concerted intent, he embezzled a total of 15,740,000 AMD from the state budget between April and November 2021, thereby causing particularly significant property damage to the state.

For the commission of the described act, the mentioned individual entrepreneur has been charged under the first sub-point of the third part of Article 184 (fraud committed in especially large amounts) and the first part of Article 345 (forgery and use of an official document) of the Criminal Code of Artsakh. A preventive measure of signature not to leave has been chosen for the accused. Measures are being taken to ensure compensation for the damage caused by the crime. The preliminary investigation continues. The legality of the pre-trial proceedings is supervised by the Division for Crimes Against Property of the Prosecutor General's Office of Artsakh."