NSS Expects Public Support in Ongoing Criminal Case

The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia emphasizes the importance of providing the public with information regarding high-profile criminal cases in a permissible manner. In order to prevent the spread of misinformation by groups interested in the outcome of the ongoing criminal case, the NSS announces a new development.

On April 2, 2017, during the National Assembly elections, a criminal case was initiated based on incidents of bribing voters. Following sufficient evidence collected during the pre-trial investigation, a decision was made to involve the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party and head of the 'Tsarukyan' bloc, Gagik Tsarukyan, as the accused under Part 2 of Article 38-154.2 of the Criminal Code of Armenia.

On the same day, the investigating body filed a motion with the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan to impose pre-trial detention as a preventive measure against Gagik Tsarukyan, which was rejected by the court. The pre-trial body did not present any single pertinent fact or information to establish reasonable suspicion concerning the accused; instead, they submitted a compilation of facts and evidence that allowed the court to conclude that the accused was indeed connected to the incident, the charges of the criminal case, and the relevant circumstances.

Particularly, the court cited testimonies from five individuals involved in the case and reports seized during a search of the 'Yerevan Shind' LLC, which clearly indicated the sums paid to voters in return for their votes in favor of the 'Tsarukyan' bloc during the 2017 elections. These documents included detailed notes on the amounts given per vote, as well as information concerning payments made to activists, under instructions from Gagik Tsarukyan, leaving no room for varied interpretations by impartial observers—a fact that was also confirmed by the court.

Moreover, the court found that Gagik Tsarukyan's misconduct during the proceedings could be addressed through measures other than imprisonment. It is notable that more than 80 searches were conducted during the initial phase of this criminal case, which uncovered further evidence directly supporting the claim of distributing funds as bribes to voters, including personal data of voters, details on family members, the amounts of 10,000 AMD given to each person, and signatures confirming the receipt of bribes.

The factual data available in the criminal case, along with the testimony of other individuals accused and dozens of witnesses, provides a reasonable basis to assert that the mentioned reports were compiled by individuals directly involved in distributing these bribe funds to voters, and subsequently submitted up the chain of command within the party.

Although over three years have passed since the incident, complicating the evidence-gathering process, the NSS has been able to uncover substantial evidence confirming the bribing of voters in favor of the 'Tsarukyan' bloc during the April 2, 2017, National Assembly elections, thanks to a series of operational and investigative actions that are ongoing.

The pre-trial body currently holds materials demonstrating that party leadership tracked particular servicemen based on their service locations, compiled lists of individuals willing to accept bribes, and verified these both before and after the elections, as well as received hundreds of millions of AMD from commercial banks in Armenia in the lead-up to the elections. Active investigative actions are continuing related to these findings as well.

In light of the public interest in revealing the entire picture of the crime, the NSS expects to receive assistance from the public and urges citizens in Armenia to inform the investigating authority immediately if they have any information regarding this case.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia will appeal the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Court's decision to the Court of Appeals.