YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The Investigative Committee’s general department of investigations continues the probe into the “Fatherland-Diaspora Center”, a governmental non-commercial organization. Former officials of the agency are suspected in misuse of funds and misconduct, based on a criminal case that was launched after a probe of the State Control Service.

According to preliminary investigation, in 2015 the center caused significant damages to the state by deliberately choosing companies offering higher prices and rejecting lower bidders during a public tender.

In addition, the investigation found misuse of funds during the implementation of a grant project spanning from 2015 to 2018. Individual officials from the Fatherland-Diaspora Center caused damages by using state funds for unsubstantiated and causeless grounds within the framework of the Ari Tun project in 2017, as well as a grant project on preparing, broadcasting and disseminating television programs and video clips.

The former director of the governmental non-commercial organization has returned 100 million drams to the state control service as partial restoration of damages.

The probe continues, the investigative committee said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan