15 november 2018

A number of corruption related crimes have been detected and prevented

A number of corruption related crimes have been detected and prevented

Within the framework of the implementation of its functions to fight economic and corruption crimes the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia conducted operational measures and integrated investigation activities as a result of which a number of corruption related crimes have been detected and prevented.
Particularly, according to the preliminary obtained information, within the period of April-November 2018 a number of residents of Aragatsotn region, not having special license and violating the established order, took around 600 trucks of black earth from the community areas of the mentioned region, transferred them, stored in priorly chosen places and sold each for 65-110 000 AMD, thus causing damage to the state in particularly large amount.
The individuals, who apparently committed a crime, periodically bribed two senior inspectors of the Aragatsotn regional unit of the Environmental Protection Inspection of the Ministry of Nature Protection with money and fuel in order to carry on their illegal entrepreneurial activities without problems. The latters, abusing their official position to get profit, permitted the illegal transportation and realization of black earth.
In this connection a criminal case was initiated in the Investigation Department of the NSS of RA, 4 people were charged.
Within the framework of another criminal case initiated in the Investigation Department based on the materials prepared by the operative units of the NSS of RA in November 2018 other cases related to import of batches of tires from Georgia into the Republic of Armenia without customs registration and clearance were detected.
According to the preliminary obtained information, two citizens of RA bribed the customs inspector of the Bagratashen customs point of the Eastern customs house of the State Revenue Committee with various amounts of money for each batch in order to import the tires without any problems.
Preliminary investigation goes on and measures are being taken to detect all the corpus delicti and other associates involved in manifestations of corruption.
The officers of the NSS of RA detected cases of theft in particularly large amount, 114 million AMD, from state funds by the officers of Tashir Municipality of Lori region, Armenia, who abused their position.
Specifically, it has been detected that within the period of 2006-2018 a number of officials of the Municipality of Tashir Community have registered citizens of RA as employees in different city establishments and non-profit organizations of the Municipality (kindergartens, sport-school), who actually have not gone to work and the money under their names has been embezzled.
Besides, the governor of the Tashir Municipality has signed scavenging and sanitarian cleaning services contracts with an entrepreneur, therefore transferred around 98 million AMD. However, the mentioned service has not been actually provided; the workers of the Municipality have organized and provided the mentioned service on their own.
A criminal case has been initiated, the preliminary investigation goes on.
The officers of the NSS of RA have also detected cases of illegal deforestation undertaken with the sponsorship of the officials of Tashir’ forestry.
According to the preliminary obtained data, during January-October, 2018 the officials of Ijevan forestry received particularly large amounts of money as bribe from a number of people for illegal deforestation and withdrawal of fuel wood from the forest.
The actual volume of the illegal withdrawal of the wood materials, fuel wood and wood as a building material from the forest as well as the environmental damage caused to the State, as a result of criminal arrangement, are currently being calculated.
A criminal case was initiated related to apparently committed crime; the preliminary investigation goes on.

Note: The suspect or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent as long as his guilt is not proven in a manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA - by the court decision entered into legal force.