Defense Ministry Official Arrested on Charges of Receiving $23,000 in Bribes

According to the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia, substantial operational-investigative measures and secret investigative activities conducted against certain officials of the Ministry of Defense have revealed that S. D., in his position as head of the conscription department of the territorial subdivision for conscription and mobilization in Syunik province, demanded and received a bribe of $23,000 from the father of a conscript in exchange for illegal actions benefiting the conscript.

Specifically, it has been established that G. H., a resident of Yerevan, made an agreement with the aforementioned official from the Ministry of Defense in the summer of 2023 to aid in having his conscript son declared unfit for military service based on a fabricated illness in exchange for the bribe. In order to carry out their criminal intent, G. H. took coordinated actions with S. D., which resulted in G. H.'s son being formally registered in the Goriss community of Syunik province, thereby falling under the jurisdiction of S. D.'s conscription department.

Subsequently, in line with their pre-arranged agreement, the official S. D. utilized his official powers and the influence associated with them to carry out the aforementioned illegal actions in favor of G. H.'s son, personally receiving a bribe equivalent to 8 million 887 thousand AMD on May 21, 2023, amounting to $23,000.

Both the Ministry of Defense official and the individual who provided the bribe were arrested on August 2, 2023, and have been presented to the Anti-Corruption Committee. On the same day, charges were filed against them for receiving and giving a particularly large bribe, respectively. The investigator from the Anti-Corruption Committee has submitted motions to the court for the selection of detention as a measure of restraint, which have been granted. The preliminary investigation continues.