VIDEO: $65,000 Bribe Exposed in Corruption Scheme by Officials, NSS Reveals

The National Security Service of the Republic has uncovered a corruption scheme developed and implemented by an official from one of the key departments of the State Revenue Committee (SRC) and the chief tax inspector of the same department. This was revealed amidst measures taken against corruption in active cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia and the Internal Security Department of the SRC.

Specifically, through extensive operational and investigative measures carried out by the NSS’s Department for Economic Security and Anti-Corruption, it was revealed that H. M., who holds the position of Deputy Head of the department, and A. A., the chief tax inspector, abused their official positions. They failed to record the full volume of unpaid tax obligations while entitled to verify compliance regarding budgetary relations with organizations engaged in economic activities. In return, they received a particularly large bribe.

During inspections conducted in February and March of this year at a developer managing multiple apartment buildings, a total of approximately 126 million AMD in unpaid tax obligations was identified. With the connivance of the aforementioned officials, the developer submitted a corrected report to the tax authorities, indicating that they should pay 59 million AMD in additional tax, instead of the full 126 million AMD. For this adjustment, H. M. and A. A. demanded and received a bribe amounting to $65,000, of which $5,000 was cash, and $60,000 was in the form of two apartments in the under-construction building at a significantly lower value.

To conceal the true origin of the bribe, these apartments were registered under the names of close relatives of H. M. and A. A., in an attempt to legalize property acquired through criminal means.

Materials prepared by the NSS have been transferred to the Anti-Corruption Committee, which has initiated a criminal case based on Articles 311 (part 4, point 2), 312 (part 3, point 1), and 190 (part 3, point 1) of the Criminal Code of Armenia (money laundering).

As part of collaborative operational-investigative actions by employees of the NSS and the Anti-Corruption Committee, searches were conducted at the workplaces and residences of the aforementioned officials from the SRC and the management of the business entity, resulting in the discovery of materials of evidential significance for the criminal case. H. M., A. A., and three other individuals have been arrested. An investigation is underway.