Five Arrested in Bribery Case for Military Draft Exemption

Five individuals have been arrested for accepting bribes to grant exemptions from mandatory military service in exchange for a bribe from the parents of a conscript, according to the Anti-Corruption Committee.

Specifically, it has been reported that A.K. and A.P. sought to obtain a three-year exemption from mandatory military service for their son, R.P., using false medical diagnoses, by contacting K.T., a member of the medical commission of the Ministry of Defense's conscription and recruitment service in Yerevan. They reached a preliminary agreement with her regarding the payment of a bribe for this purpose.

“The aforementioned official of the commission demanded a bribe of $4,500 from the boy's mother on November 23, 2022, to arrange a three-year exemption from military service using false medical diagnoses. Subsequently, the boy's parents, his uncle, and with the assistance of K.T.'s husband, handed the bribe money to K.T. on November 27, 2022,” the report states.

The parents of the conscript and his uncle, along with the aforementioned commission member and her husband, were arrested by an investigator from the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Republic of Armenia.