Armenia’s “arms baron” arrested | Report.az

Armenia’s National Security Service has detained local businessman David Galstyan (known as Patron Davo) on charges of supplying old and unusable artillery shells to the Defence Ministry. Report informs referring to the Sputnik Armenia.

Being the chairman of the board of a company registered abroad, Galstyan and the director of the same company concluded with the Defence Ministry an agreement on the supply of artillery shells for cannons produced in 1983-86, aiming to misappropriate a large number of funds, the service’s press office reported.

The provided shells, which failed to meet the concluded agreement requirements, were actually the ones aimed for Czech guns of 1977.

“In terms of tactical and technical characteristics, the delivered shells were significantly inferior to those that were supposed to be supplied. These shells could not be used during combat missions.

As a result of the transaction, David Galstyan’s company received 523 million drams (about $1.08 million),” the press office said.

The supplied weapons were used during Armenia’s 44-day-war with Azerbaijan between September 27 and November 10.