Bribes Demanded and Accepted: Dean, Deputy and 2 Lecturers Arrested in Yerevan

The National Security Service of Armenia has obtained factual data as part of a criminal case initiated in the Anti-Corruption Committee and operational-intelligence measures conducted therein. It has been revealed that H. S., the dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Yerevan State University since 2000, along with G. T., an associate professor from the same faculty, and other lecturers, demanded and accepted various sums of money as bribes from students studying in different years of the faculty in exchange for performing illegal actions in favor of these students between February and March 2023.

Specifically, G. T. organized the process of assigning positive grades to a student without verifying their knowledge, demanding 120,000 AMD for each exam from the student, totaling 480,000 AMD in bribes. After obtaining the dean's consent, G. T. approached the lecturers conducting exams to request the assignment of positive grades for the student. As a result, the student received positive grades without the necessary knowledge verification.

Additionally, dean H. S., along with his deputy A. N., received a bribe of 4,000 USD and cognac from P. H. in exchange for providing exemption, patronage, and performing illegal actions in favor of another student. During the same period, H. S. accepted bribes from two other students in a similar manner for assigning positive grades without verifying their knowledge.

It has also been clarified during the investigation that G. T., together with another lecturer A. M., used their official powers to conduct illegal actions in favor of students pointed out by A. M., organizing and carrying out the process of assigning positive grades for the exam scheduled for March 2023 without knowledge verification.

On May 24, 2023, dean H. S., his deputy, two lecturers from the same faculty, and five other individuals who provided bribes were arrested. On the same day, charges were presented against the dean, his deputy, and the two lecturers under Article 435, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. The investigator from the Anti-Corruption Committee has submitted requests to the court to choose detention as a preventive measure against them. The investigation is ongoing.

Notice: A person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia by a court decision that has entered into legal force.