20,350,754 AMD: Director of 'Lapterik' Registered Acquaintances, Including His Pregnant Daughter-in-Law, Fraudulently

The preliminary investigation into the cases of fraud, misappropriation of entrusted property, and bribery by the director of the Yerevan 'Lapterik Kindergarten' Municipal Non-Commercial Organization has been completed.

According to the findings of the investigation conducted by the Serious Crimes Investigation Division of the RA Investigative Committee, it has been established that from 2001 until January 2019, during his tenure as the director of 'Lapterik Kindergarten', G.H. registered 17 individuals, who were acquaintances of his, to various positions at the kindergarten, most of whom did not attend and were unaware of being registered as employees at this organization. By this means, the director continuously misappropriated substantial sums, illegally converting, for personal use, the wages withdrawn in the names of these individuals, amounting to a particularly large sum of 19,938,294 AMD.

Additionally, during this period, aware of the maternity benefits granted to employed individuals, the kindergarten director, using the pregnancy of his daughter-in-law with her prior consent, submitted an application for her employment at 'Lapterik Kindergarten'. On September 1, 2017, he formally employed her as the chief accountant, however, left the performance of her duties to the previous accountant, compensating her for this.

Subsequently, the kindergarten director signed and approved false documents regarding the accounting of working hours, based on which maternity benefits amounting to 412,460 AMD were calculated and paid in the name of his daughter-in-law, resulting in significant damage to the community of Yerevan.

It was also revealed that from January 2014 until May 2018, the director demanded and received 15,000 AMD monthly as a bribe from a person who was registered as a music educator at the kindergarten and was actually employed, in exchange for not dismissing her and maintaining her position. In total, he obtained 780,000 AMD in bribes.

Throughout the investigation, the full amount of damage caused to the community of Yerevan, totaling 20,350,754 AMD, has been restored by the director of 'Lapterik Kindergarten'.

However, due to the expiration of the statutory limitation periods, no public criminal prosecution has been initiated against several individuals registered at the kindergarten who did not attend work, including the director’s daughter-in-law.

Based on the acquired evidence, the director of the kindergarten has been charged under the first and second parts of Article 255, the third part of Article 256, and the second part of Article 435 of the RA Criminal Code. A charge has also been brought against the music educator for giving a large bribe. A measure of restraint prohibiting them from leaving has been applied. The preliminary investigation has been completed, and the materials of the criminal case, along with the accusatory conclusion, have been sent to the supervising prosecutor for approval and subsequent forwarding to the court.