Citizen Charged for Offering 20,000 Drams to Police Officer

A citizen has been charged for offering a bribe to police officers. The preliminary investigation into the criminal cases has been completed, according to the Anti-Corruption Committee, which noted that the investigation revealed instances of citizens attempting to bribe employees of the Patrol Service of the Police of the Republic of Armenia.

During the preliminary investigation, it was established that on November 12, 2021, a police patrol stopped Stepan Kirakosyan's vehicle on Bagratunyats Street in Yerevan for driving without a seatbelt and under the influence. To avoid corresponding administrative violation reports, Kirakosyan repeatedly offered the officer a bribe, which was repeatedly rejected. The officer warned Kirakosyan that offering a bribe to a police officer is a criminal offense. However, Kirakosyan persisted in his offer and was subsequently taken to the Shengavit police station on suspicion of bribery.

In a separate case investigated by the Anti-Corruption Committee, it was established that Gegham Nazaryan offered a bribe to a police officer; however, the officer declined to accept it and took Nazaryan into custody with his colleague. According to the charges filed, on November 26, 2021, patrol officers stopped a vehicle driven by Nazaryan for having tinted windows. During the inspection, officers also discovered that Nazaryan had not undergone the required technical inspection nor had a mandatory insurance policy. To avoid administrative charges, Nazaryan placed 20,000 AMD into the officer's pocket and was then taken to the Malatia police station.

Charges have been brought against Stepan Kirakosyan and Gegham Nazaryan under part 1 of Article 312 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia for their involvement in the aforementioned crimes. The preliminary investigation into their cases has been completed, and the cases have been submitted to the prosecutor for approval and subsequent referral to court.

The Committee reminds that offering/attempting to offer a bribe, according to Article 312 of the RA Criminal Code, is also a prosecutable offense, and advises individuals to refrain from such actions and to exhibit lawful behavior.