RA Investigative Committee completed its criminal investigation into  former Deputy Chief of  General Staff of Armed Forces

ArmInfo.  The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has completed the preliminary investigation into the criminal case initiated for abuse of power by A.K., former First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of  the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

In the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal  proceeding it was found out and grounded that at dawn on May 12,  2021, the enemy, taking advantage of the low visibility caused by  foggy weather, crossed the RA state border in the area of Sev Lake  from the inter-post space between combat positions, advancing about  3-3.5 km deep into Armenian territory, appearing in the rear of the  positions and occupying advantageous heights.

Between May 14 and 16, 2021, the former First Deputy Chief of the  General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, exceeding his official  authority and being fully aware that he had no power to issue an  order to withdraw servicemen from a combat position or to surrender  the own combat post to the enemy, used the authority derived from his  position to issue an unfounded verbal order to abandon the combat  positions.  This act, through negligence, resulted in grave material  consequences; namely on May 16, the units withdrew from their combat  positions, and on May 17, 2021, the enemy took up positions in those  combat posts, refused to leave the invaded areas of the RA sovereign  territory, and took control of a part of the area.

Public criminal prosecution was initiated against A.K. according to  the Point 4 of the Part 2 of the Article 549 of RA Criminal Code.   Detention was selected as a pretrial measure against him and search  was declared.  A decision was made to conduct a proceeding in  absentia against A.K.  The criminal proceeding, along  with the bill  of indictment, has been sent to the prosecutor for approval and  referral to court.