Armenia: head of National Seismic Service suspected of embezzlement

A criminal case on charges of embezzling about 6500 euros has been initiated against Alvaro Antonyan, head of the National Seismic Service of Armenia and Director of the Public Organization "Centre for Support of Programme of Seismic Risk Reduction".

According to the investigation, on July 10, 2008, Antonyan signed a memorandum of understanding with B. Feiner, an official from the Department of Environmental Control and Analysis of the French Atomic Energy Commissariat. The memorandum envisaged construction of a modern network of seismic stations by means of bilateral funding in the Vayotsdzor Region of Armenia.

Subsequently, the French party took the full funding of the project, and on August 27, 2009, transferred a part of the necessary sum for the works, namely, 37,466,800 Armenian drams (70,000 euros) to the account of the above NGO "Centre for Support of Programme of Seismic Risk Reduction".

According to the preliminary investigation, Antonyan received the above sum and gave the money to the cash department of the organization. In the period from September 1 to December 31, 2009, a network of six seismic stations was built and put into operation in the city of Vayk, Vayotsdzor Region, and in the territory belonging to Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) "Vayk Group" in the community Zedeya of the same Region, the "Armenia Today" reports.

However, according to General Prosecutor's Office, in the course of implementing the project Antonyan appropriated 3,324,387 drams. The head of the National Seismic Service of Armenia has been under the article of "misappropriation or embezzlement", and his criminal case has been sent to the court.