Director of Kindergarten Arrested for Embezzling Children’s Food Funds

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated a criminal case regarding the misappropriation discovered at a kindergarten. The director of the kindergarten has been arrested.

Information has been received at the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Department of the Police, indicating that from May 2015 to June 2018, the director of the "Laptirik" kindergarten in Yerevan employed various people, primarily friends and relatives, who did not actually attend work, while salaries totaling 3,711,256 AMD were embezzled in their names.

On November 3, 2018, a criminal case was initiated at the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Department of the Police, based on Article 179, Part 3, Point 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, which was transferred to the Investigative Committee's Erevan and Nubarashen administrative district division on November 12, 2018.

According to preliminary investigations, with the intent to misappropriate public funds, the kindergarten director exploited their official position by formally registering nine individuals who did not actually work at the kindergarten, personally receiving the large sums of money transferred to their bank accounts and withdrawn via bank cards.

Moreover, the director is suspected of misappropriating a portion of food allocated for the kindergarten children, starting from early 2014 until January 17, 2019, along with additional funds amounting to 13,357,941 AMD intended for unregistered staff who did not work.

As a result of extensive investigative and procedural actions, further criminal manifestations have been uncovered.

In particular, the investigation revealed that the director not only embezzled substantial funds under the names of absent but formalized employees but also misappropriated food items meant for the kindergarten children since 2014.

Since assuming the office of the director of the community nonprofit organization "Laptirik" in 2001, the director is alleged to have misappropriated food allotted to the children by collaborating with a group of individuals from early 2014 until January 17, 2019.

To maintain their position, the director reportedly demanded specific portions of food designated for daily meals from the kindergarten’s cook, causing the cook, fearing for the loss of their job, to comply with the director's demands by setting aside food items each day. The cook prepared dishes with incomplete ingredients and transported food items to the director’s office personally or through an assistant.

Preliminary assessments indicated that the food items accumulating in the office were regularly removed from the kindergarten and misappropriated by the director.

On January 17, 2019, as part of a legally authorized search, food items specially set aside with the cook’s assistance were discovered and seized from the director's office.

On January 21, 2019, the kindergarten director was arrested on suspicion of committing a crime under Article 179, Part 3, Point 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. The investigation is ongoing, and necessary investigative actions are being conducted to ensure a comprehensive examination of all circumstances surrounding the case. Further information regarding procedural decisions based on the investigation's outcomes will be communicated later.

Note: A suspect or accused party in a criminal offense is presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia through a legally binding court decision.