Five Million Dram Bribe Demanded from Relative of Captured Soldier Posing as NSS Employee

A person identified as B.P., presenting himself as an employee of the National Security Service (NSS), allegedly assured that through a acquaintance holding a general's rank in the agency, he could facilitate the return of Armenian citizens captured by the Azerbaijani armed forces during their attacks on Armenian sovereign territory, in exchange for a substantial amount of money. He reportedly urged Kh. G., a relative of the purported captive K.K., to deliver a bribe of 5 million dram under the pretext of handing the money over to the 'general.'

This information was gathered based on Kh. G.'s report on October 5, 2022. A criminal case was initiated in the Shirak regional investigative department of the Investigative Committee, and on the same day, the case was forwarded to the Anti-Corruption Committee. On October 11, 2022, a covert investigative operation titled 'Simulated Bribery' was conducted, during which B.P. was arrested by NSS employees immediately after receiving part of the amount, which was 1 million 200 thousand dram.

On October 12, 2022, the investigator requested the supervising prosecutor to initiate public criminal proceedings against B.P., which was granted. A public criminal prosecution was launched against B.P. under points 2 and 2 of part 2 of Article 44-46-436 and part 2 of Article 44-440 of the Criminal Code, and a request for arrest was submitted to the court, which was granted. Sufficient evidence was deemed available to prove B.P.'s guilt in court, and the indictment was confirmed by the supervising prosecutor's decision on November 1, 2022, and sent to the Anti-Corruption Court.