The First Illegal Gift Returned as Legislative Changes Come into Effect

Starting from January 2024, amendments aimed at improving the institution of gifts received by public servants under the "Law on Public Service" will be in effect. According to these changes, it is prohibited for a public servant and anyone holding a public office to accept any gift related to their official duties.

As the body responsible for formulating sectoral policy, the Ministry of Justice received a report stating that Gevorg Papoyan, the chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs, recently received a "Door" Armenian brandy from Company X, raising questions about the acceptability of the gift.

Papoyan consulted with Sona Tepoyan, the organizer for ethical issues within the NA staff, asking for advice regarding the appropriateness of the gift. The provided advisory opinion deemed the gift unacceptable.

Upon receiving the advisory opinion, Gevorg Papoyan returned the gift to the donor through the ethics organizer. It is important to note that only four categories of gifts defined by law are permitted (protocol gifts, gifts given during official visits, scholarships, etc.). According to the current legal regulations, if a public official receives a gift that might reasonably be perceived as related to their official duties, they are obliged to seek advisory opinion on the acceptability of the gift and return it to the donor, or pay equivalent compensation if the gift is found to be unacceptable.

Following the implementation of these legal provisions, there has already been a case where a public official, after receiving an unacceptable gift, returned it to the donor based on the advisory opinion of the ethics organizer.