Another Case of Large-Scale Bribery of Officials Revealed by the NSS

The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has unveiled another case involving large-scale bribery of an official under Article 311, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code, as well as Article 312, Part 3, Clause 1, and Article 34 with respect to forgery and other fraudulent activities to evade military service enlistment.

Following extensive investigative and procedural actions conducted by the NSS Investigation Department, alongside comprehensive operational and intelligence measures by NSS units, it has become possible to prevent a case of evasion from military service enlistment based on forged medical documents, as well as to expose a substantial bribery case.

As a result of the measures undertaken, on May 24, 2020, S. N., N. G., N. M., and R. M. were detained by the NSS Investigation Department on suspicion of preventing military service through aiding and abetting the bribery of officials in significant amounts, and forgery of documents in the absence of appropriate legal grounds as established by Armenian law. They were subsequently involved as suspects, due to the existence of relevant grounds stipulated by criminal procedural law.

On the same day, individuals suspected of aiding the bribery of an official provided confessions in the presence of their lawyers, revealing the network of individuals involved in the corrupt scheme and the role of each participant, expressing their willingness to present evidentiary materials significant for the investigation of the criminal case.

It was established that N. G., aiming to extend the previously granted five-year deferral of compulsory military service for his son, S. N., secured the agreement of R. M., a former employee of the republican military hospital of the Ministry of Defense (MoD), through his girlfriend. In doing so, R. M. promised to use his connections to provide officials with a bribe of $3,000 to resolve his son’s military service deferral issue.

Subsequently, in April 2020, R. M., having consented to assist N. G. and S. N. in realizing their criminal intent, met with the appropriate official at the military commissariat and offered to postpone S. N.’s military service enlistment again for a fee, agreeing to meet at a later time.

In May 2020, R. M. received $3,000 from N. G. to pass on to the respective official at the military commissariat. However, as the official refused to accept the bribe, R. M. returned $2,000 out of the $3,000 to S. N. and claimed that he had given $1,000 to the official to refrain from executing certain actions, thus fraudulently appropriating it.

The detained individuals have been subjected to preventive measures, including a prohibition against leaving the country. Searches have been conducted in their residences, resulting in the seizure of computers, medical documents, military registration, mobile phones, and measures are underway to identify the full scope of all parties involved in the corrupt scheme and to individualize their actions. The pre-investigation continues.