Former Official’s Bribery and Other Corruption Cases Disclosed

The Armenian National Security Service's Ararat Province division conducted operational-investigative measures that revealed that between 1999 and July 2021, the head of the Artashavan community in the Ararat province engaged in clear illegal actions on behalf of owners and representatives of registered companies in Armenia. This involved presenting a portion of the community's agricultural lands as pastures and selling them through staged auctions he organized, making unilateral decisions between March and July 2017, using forged documents to arrange these mock auctions.

As a result, a portion of approximately 67 hectares of arable land belonging to the Artashavan community was unlawfully transferred to the aforementioned company, for which he received a substantial bribe of about 67,000,000 AMD.

Additionally, the same official abused his position by transferring a plot of 0.1533 hectares, assigned to a community resident, to his relative through a sham auction-sale on April 17, 2020, using false documents. Consequently, the community resident was deprived of the opportunity to possess and use the property entrusted to him.

A criminal case has been initiated in the Investigative Department of the National Security Service concerning the receipt of particularly large bribes, bribery, abuse of official powers, and official forgery.

Note: The person suspected or accused of the alleged crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia by a legally binding court verdict.