NSS Reports on the Exposure of Official Forgery by Former Head of Baghravan Community

The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia has reported the exposure of cases of official forgery committed by the former head of the Baghravan community in the Shirak region. According to a statement released by the NSS press center:

“Employees of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department of the NSS, in cooperation with investigators from the NSS, have uncovered cases of official forgery by the former head of the Baghravan community, as well as the embezzlement of community property amounting to a particularly large total of 17,275,000 AMD.”

In particular, community head A.P., after reaching a preliminary agreement with certain villagers, hired a number of individuals in the Baghravan community administration who did not attend work or fulfill their duties, and created, approved, and validated false official documents known as “time sheets” that served as the basis for salary payments. These documents contained blatantly false information regarding the attendance and functional obligations of those employees. After circulating these fabricated documents, he presented them for payment, resulting in the unjustified withdrawal of funds from the community budget, amounting to a total of 6,020,000 AMD illegally misappropriated between 2015 and 2017.

Moreover, as part of a preliminary agreement with the community’s accountant, during the years 2012-2013, the community head A.P. received payments totaling 2,000,000 AMD from 22 residents as part of a government support program for seed wheat, which he did not deposit into the community budget, nor transfer to the “Seeds Agency” organization, thus illegally misappropriating them using his official position.

In addition, between 2010 and 2014, A.P. used false applications filled out in the names of 10 socially vulnerable individuals, which were signed by others, to withdraw a total of 1,500,000 AMD from the community budget, which he did not transfer to the beneficiaries, subsequently misappropriating it for personal needs.

Investigative measures have also revealed that A.P., with the intention of fraudulently seizing significant property, formed and validated false contracts for leasing vehicles belonging to his relatives in agreement with them. In reality, these vehicles were never used by the Baghravan community administration or for the needs of the community, resulting in the fraudulent appropriation of an especially large sum of 7,775,000 AMD from the community budget under misleading leasing contracts.

A criminal case has been initiated under Articles 179 (Part 3, Subpart 1), 178 (Part 2, Subparts 1, 1.1, and 2), 178 (Part 3, Subpart 1), and 314 (Part 1) of the RA Criminal Code, and an investigation is ongoing. Active investigative and operational measures are being undertaken to uncover other instances of corruption within the Baghravan community administration and to identify the victims of these crimes.”