Director of Amasia Health Center Involved in Corruption Scandals; Criminal Case Launched

The Police Chief of the Republic of Armenia has reported that, following operational information received from the National Security Service, materials were prepared by the Amasia Division of the Police, uncovering incidents of embezzlement of state funds through a criminal mechanism at the Amasia Health Center LLC.

Particularly, factual data has been obtained regarding the director of Amasia Health Center LLC, who, under the guise of ensuring the effective and targeted use of budgetary allocations within his powers, has appointed his mother as a housekeeper at the same medical center for personal gain. She has not attended work until 2018, has not fulfilled her job duties, yet her employment contract has not been terminated under these conditions. During those years, the payroll records included the details of the director's mother as an employee who purportedly performed her work duties and were submitted for payment. Consequently, from 2010 to 2018, a total of 4.3 million AMD was disbursed as remuneration from state funds in her name, which was embezzled in a manner of wastefulness.

Moreover, factual data has also been obtained about the failure to remove the records of five deceased individuals and eleven individuals who have permanently relocated from the population list registered and serviced by Amasia Health Center LLC from 2010 to 2019. Instead, by inserting obviously false information into official documents, their details have continued to be included in the population list registered and serviced by Amasia Health Center LLC, resulting in the state disbursing more funds for the medical services of these individuals than required, which has been embezzled, causing significant damage to the legitimate interests of the state.

Based on the materials prepared concerning the above-described incidents, a criminal case has been initiated by the Shirak Regional Prosecutor's Office under Parts 1 and 3 of Article 179, Article 308, and Article 314 of the RA Criminal Code, which has been forwarded to the Shirak Regional Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia for further investigation. A comprehensive, objective, and multi-faceted inquiry will also investigate the possible existence of the data of other deceased persons or those who have changed their place of permanent residence and long-term absence from Armenia within the population lists serviced by the mentioned medical center, determining the scope of all responsible employees involved in these criminal mechanisms.