Large-scale Embezzlement and Official Forgery Cases at the Hydro-Meteorological and Monitoring Center

The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia has revealed that since 2013, officials at the Hydro-Meteorological and Monitoring Center under the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the Organization) in the cities of Artik, Gyumri, and Amasia have been involved in large-scale embezzlement and official forgery.

These officials, abusing their official positions and colluding for profit-driven motives, engaged a total of seventeen individuals in the Organization's territorial units without their actual attendance, and without fulfilling their functional responsibilities. Throughout their tenure, they received salaries in the amounts of 60,000-75,000 AMD monthly, either in cash or through bank transfers, based on fictitious employment.

Specifically, from 2014 until July 2020, the aforementioned officials compiled and certified official documents with their signatures, which included fabricated details about the non-attendance of employees in meteorological departments. These forged documents, which falsely indicated attendance and fulfillment of work hours and responsibilities, were then circulated for payment. As a result, around 30,700,000 AMD was unlawfully withdrawn from the organization’s budget in the names of these nonexistent employees.

Subsequently, these officials misappropriated the funds using their official positions. Following this incident, the Investigative Department of the NSS of Armenia has initiated a criminal case based on the characteristics of crimes stipulated in Article 179, Part 3, Clause 1 and Article 314, Part 1 of the Armenian Criminal Code. An investigation is underway.

Appropriate measures are being taken to identify the full extent of individuals involved in this corrupt scheme, individualize the actions of each participant, and provide adequate legal assessment.