A Resident of Ayntap Has Not Attended Work for 6 Years but Collected a Salary, Prosecutor’s Office

A woman who was recognized as the winner of a "vacant position" competition at the Zorak community council in the Ararat region has not attended work but has received a salary. This information is reported by the press service of the RA Prosecutor's Office.

The competition was held in December 2012. It has been revealed that the resident of Ayntap, who was declared the winner, has not attended work since her appointment until her dismissal date on May 26, 2018, and has not fulfilled her assigned duties. However, based on illegal instructions from the head of the Zorak community and several false accounting documents prepared by other employees, she was paid a total of approximately 4 million AMD from the community budget, including salary, bonuses, and mandatory accumulated pension contributions.

On February 23, 2020, the Prosecutor approved the indictment in the criminal case, and the case was sent to court against the head of the community and two employees.

“During the pre-trial investigation of the criminal case, it was found that in the above-mentioned competition held on December 4, 2012, the winner’s grandmother was included in the competition commission, who at that time held the position of head of the department for local self-government and community services at the Ararat regional administration. Considering that no evidence has been obtained during the investigation indicating criminal influence by her on the commission's decision regarding her granddaughter's victory, it was decided not to prosecute her on the basis of the absence of a criminal offense,” the statement said.

The Prosecutor’s Office found that there are no legal regulations concerning potential conflicts of interest between public and private interests for individuals who are members of the commission. This issue is problematic; it is noted that although a conflict of interest is not considered corruption by mere fact, if the conflicts between the private interests of public officials and their official duties are not properly managed, they can lead to corrupt practices.

In view of this circumstance, Ararat region Prosecutor Armen Chichoyan has submitted a letter to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Suren Papikyan, suggesting that the circumstances contributing to the commission of the described crime be addressed to prevent similar cases. Based on the instruction given by the Minister, the letter has been discussed by regional administrations. The regional governors have assured that the issue is under control.