Defense Ministry Official and Bribery Recipient Arrested

Within the framework of the criminal proceedings related to alleged bribery by officials of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, a case of large-scale bribery has been uncovered. This was reported by the Anti-Corruption Committee.

Specifically, factual data has been obtained in the criminal case indicating that A.T., an employee of the conscription division of the Territorial Unit of the Ararat region of the Ministry of Defense's recruitment and mobilization service, received a bribe of $11,000 to perform unlawful actions for a conscript.

The pre-investigation has revealed that the father of the conscript arranged, through his acquaintance R.A., to obtain a deferment from compulsory military service for his son under the false pretense of an illness in exchange for a bribe to the official A.T.

On March 30, 2023, with the assistance of R.A., the conscript's father provided part of the previously agreed bribe amounting to $1,000 to the official, while an additional $6,000 was handed over on April 7, 2023. Afterward, R.A., having received the approval of A.T., accepted the promise to give an additional $4,000 in bribes from the conscript's father.

On May 11, 2023, A.T. and the individual who bribed him were arrested. On the same day, A.T. was charged under points 2 and 3 of part 2 of Article 435 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. The investigator of the Anti-Corruption Committee has submitted a motion to the court to choose detention as a preventive measure against A.T. The investigation is ongoing.