Epress.am News from Armenia
Commander of the National Army and Chief of General Staff of Moldova’s Armed Forces, Brigadier General Iurie Dominic (pictured) has been sacked.
No specific reason was given, but a Cabinet of Ministers’ decision states that he was released from his position “in order to strengthen military discipline and prevent future violations of statutes.”
Moldova’s Acting President Marian Lupu proposed Dominic be sent for early retirement since last week a soldier in a Moldovan prison accidentally shot and killed a fellow serviceman.
But what’s possible is another reason for his dismissal, connected to the sale of expired ammunition and weapons from the arsenal of Moldova’s National Army. According to some reports, on Sept. 12 a IL-76 flew from the Libyan city of Benghazi to Moldova, which then transported 30 tons of weapons to Armenia on Sept. 14. These activities were attempted in secrecy.
However, the investigation, which was accompanied by parliamentary committee hearings on national security, did not reveal any illegal activities.
In late September, within the framework of the Eastern Partnership in Warsaw, Moldovan Prime Minister Vladimir Filat will have to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who may express his discontent for his country’s sale of arms to Armenia. It was Brigadier General Iurie Dominic who was responsible for this transaction.
Armenia, in turn, claims that it has never purchased obsolete weapons: “For the needs of Armenia’s Armed Forces, the procurement and acquisition of weapons and military equipment are made under the laws of the Republic [of Armenia] and relevant international norms and obligations,” said defense ministry press secretary David Karapetyan.