Large-scale Bribery Case Involving Former Arabkir Deputy Mayor Uncovered

The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia has uncovered a case of large-scale bribery involving several officials of the Yerevan Municipality, related to extortion that took place between 2012 and 2015. This was part of the agency's efforts to combat various manifestations of corruption.

According to obtained factual data, the former deputy leader of the Arabkir administrative district is implicated in the demand for bribes from a representative of a construction company engaged in the development of one of the boiler houses on Vagharchyan Street, which had been privatized under a relative's name, valued at $300,000 and covering an area of 377 m2. In 2013, he offered to acquire this property significantly below market price for 62 million AMD in exchange for agreeing to develop an apartment building.

The official even proposed to provide several competent officials of the Yerevan Municipality with apartments, commercial spaces, and 4 parking spaces equivalent to $430,000 in bribes to ensure the transaction, threatening to obstruct the business activities of the construction firm if they did not comply.

In order to protect the rights and legal interests violated by extortion, the representative of the construction company was forced to agree and, after constructing the apartment building in the aforementioned area, handed over the demanded real estate as particularly large-scale bribery to the extortionists between 2015 and 2017, signing sale agreements with the individuals they indicated.

A criminal case has been initiated in the investigative department of the NSS of Armenia regarding the alleged crime, and an inquiry is underway. Measures are being taken to identify and hold accountable all individuals involved in the criminal network.

Note: The individual suspected or accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, by a court’s legally binding decision.