Traffic Police Officer Received Bribe to Issue Driver’s License to Yerevan Resident

During the investigation of a criminal case at the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia, sufficient evidence has been gathered indicating that an officer of the Traffic Police’s Kotayk Registration-Examination Department, identified as E. S., abused his official powers and, with the assistance of his fellow villager G. G., received a bribe of 350,000 AMD to organize and pass the theoretical exam necessary for issuing a driver’s license to a Yerevan resident, L. B.

According to the charges, during a meeting with L. B., G. G. assured that if she paid 350,000 AMD to officer E. S. through him, the theoretical exam would be merely a formality, and any potential issues would be resolved by the police officers. Subsequently, on November 27, L. B. participated in the theoretical examination for her driver’s license at the Kotayk Registration-Examination Department of the Traffic Police, during which she was unable to correctly answer the questions posed.

Utilizing his official position contrary to the interests of the service, officer E. S. directed L. B. to indicate the correct answers, resulting in her examination being positively evaluated. After the theoretical exam, G. G. received the bribe of 350,000 AMD from L. B. to pass on to officer E. S. and was caught on the spot by employees of the National Security Service of Armenia.

For the aforementioned criminal acts, E. S. has been charged under part 3 of Article 311 and part 1 of Article 308 of the Criminal Code of Armenia, while G. G. has been charged under part 3 of Article 38-311 of the same code. The two defendants have been remanded in custody as a measure of restraint. The preliminary investigation of the criminal case is ongoing.