Former Head of Tavush Social Protection Department Received Bribes from 36 Individuals

The head of the Tavush social protection department of the State Social Security Service, V.B., received bribes ranging from 20,000 to 535,000 AMD from 36 residents of Gegharkunik Province between 2017 and 2019 in exchange for adding false information regarding the work experience of pensioners in the pension system's database. This was reported by the RA General Prosecutor's Office.

Additionally, V.B. created an official forged document in the name of S.M., a lead specialist of the Economic Department of the Social Security Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, stating that S.M. had visited the Tavush territorial center on October 3, 2016, due to work-related functions, while in fact, the latter had performed his work duties in Yerevan on that date and the following days.

On August 2, 2023, the supervising prosecutor initiated public criminal prosecution against V.B. under Article 311, Part 1 (2 episodes), Part 2 (32 episodes), Part 3 (2 episodes) (receiving bribes) and Article 314, Part 1 (2 episodes) (committing official forgery) of the Criminal Code adopted on April 18, 2003.

Since three of the persons who gave bribes have died, and 22 admitted to the fact of bribery without contesting their actions, the criminal proceedings revealed that they were not previously exempted from criminal responsibility on the basis of effective remorse, nor did they commit any criminal acts. They cooperated with the criminal prosecution authorities and assisted in clarifying the circumstances of the case, leading the supervising prosecutor to decide not to initiate public criminal prosecutions against those individuals.