Corruption Cases Revealed in Driver's License Examination Process

The Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Armenia has reported the uncovering of corruption cases related to bribery in the process of obtaining driver's licenses. This was revealed during the pre-investigation phase of a criminal case initiated by the National Security Service of Armenia and is currently being investigated by the SIS. The allegations involve officials from the road police, other law enforcement officers, and citizens who engaged in bribery, facilitation of bribery, abuse of office, and forgery.

According to the findings, Edward Shiroyan, a senior inspector at the Sevan Registration and Examination Division of the Road Police, provided driver's licenses to two individuals in March 2020. He did this without properly verifying their theoretical knowledge and practical driving skills, accepting bribes in varying amounts. This included receiving a bribe from the heads of two passport offices in the Gegharkunik region.

Specifically, Shiroyan accepted a bribe of 150,000 AMD from the head of the Sevan passport office in exchange for passing a practical driving test for an individual he represented, despite the established regulations being violated.

Additionally, another citizen, Mesrop Vardanian, approached his relative, Hakhtanak Yavryan, a master at the Gavar driving school, seeking assistance to obtain a driver's license through bribery. Yavryan charged Vardanian 250,000 AMD for this service. Yavryan then coordinated with Shiroyan to secure a driver's license for Vardanian in exchange for a bribe of 200,000 AMD.

In exchange for the significant bribe, Shiroyan, with the assistance of Vardanian, prepared a false record stating that Vardanian had passed the theoretical test.

For these crimes, Edward Shiroyan has been charged under several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia, including Article 308, Article 311, and Article 314. Mesrop Vardanian faces charges under Article 312 and Article 314, while Hakhtanak Yavryan has been charged under Article 313.

Shiroyan has been remanded in custody, while Vardanian and Yavryan have been released on the condition not to leave the country.

The pre-investigation phase regarding these defendants has concluded and the case has been submitted to the supervising prosecutor for indictment and court proceedings.

Furthermore, during the investigation, it was revealed that aside from the mentioned cases, certain officials from the Sevan Registration and Examination Division of the Road Police, having previously agreed, received bribes in March 2020 to illegally grant driver's licenses without verifying practical driving skills.

Criminal cases have been initiated regarding these incidents under Articles 311, 312, 308, and 314 of the Criminal Code, and the investigation is ongoing.

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