Bank Employee Added Digits to End of Card Accounts and Embezzled 197 Million 135 Thousand Drams

The preliminary investigation into a criminal case regarding particularly large-scale embezzlement using computer technology has been completed in the Main Investigative Department for Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee.

The inquiry revealed that a 40-year-old man, holding the position of head of the automated banking system escort department of a bank operating in Armenia, had the authority to perform transactions in the bank's automated banking system as part of his job duties. From December 2019 to March 2020, with the unified intent of committing embezzlement of others' property in particularly large amounts, he programmatically added digits or entered nonexistent amounts at the end of the amounts deposited in the card accounts of himself, three citizens of the Republic of Armenia, and a citizen of Georgia directly from the bank's automated system. As a result, using computer technology, he embezzled a particularly large amount of 197 million 135 thousand Armenian drams.

Based on the gathered sufficient evidence, the 40-year-old resident of Yerevan has been charged under Article 181, Part 3, Point 1 of the RA Criminal Code (embezzlement committed using computer technology in particularly large amounts). A preventive measure in the form of a signature not to leave has been applied to him. The preliminary investigation has been completed, and the criminal case has been sent to the prosecutor with a request to confirm the indictment.

Note: A suspect or defendant in the alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code by a lawful court verdict that has come into effect.