Charges Filed Against Officials of the State Revenue Committee

The investigations conducted by the Special Investigative Service of Armenia revealed substantial evidence of illegal importation of various types of goods from Georgia to Armenia, as well as significant bribery allegations against officials within the State Revenue Committee (SRC). These actions resulted in a failure to pay the state budget over 73 million AMD in taxes, duties, and other mandatory payments.

Particularly, it was established during the criminal investigation that Levon Avagyan, who engaged in illegal imports between December 2019 and March 2020, facilitated the import of a total of nine truckloads of food products and automotive oils without customs declaration and appropriate customs procedures, aided by four drivers. Customs officer Hayk Martirosyan, on duty at the Bagratashen customs checkpoint, permitted the illegal importation of Avagyan’s goods without any customs declaration, neglecting his official duties.

The investigation also revealed that Tigran Avetyan, the scale officer at the same customs checkpoint, had conspired with Levon Avagyan to support these illegal activities, including receiving substantial bribes from Avagyan. Specifically, Avetyan received around 6000 USD in bribes after facilitating the illegal imports, transferring some of the money to a customs official. He had not yet collected an additional 800 USD bribe before the authorities uncovered the crime.

Moreover, Volodya Asatryan, the shift supervisor at the customs checkpoint, demonstrated negligence and incompetence, inadequately overseeing the functions of the customs officers during the illegal imports, leading to significant consequences.

Due to the described criminal acts, the state suffered substantial damages exceeding 73 million AMD. A portion of these funds has been recovered during the investigation, while the remainder is subjected to asset seizure from the accused individuals.

Criminal charges have been filed against Levon Avagyan under several articles of the Armenian Criminal Code, as well as against other officials for their respective roles in the criminal conduct. The investigation has concluded, and the case has been sent to the supervising prosecutor for indictment and court proceedings.

Note: An individual suspected or accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty under the procedural law of Armenia by a court's legally binding decision.