The National Security Service of RA, carrying out consistent and uncompromising fight against various manifestations of corruption and being faithful to the adopted policy of eliminating these manifestations, as a result of operative-search measures and investigative activities undertaken within the functions vested upon it by the law, detected a case of receiving a bribe.

Factual information was received, according to which, the expert of the "Environmental Impact Expertise Center" SNCO of the Ministry of Environment of RA, carrying out the expertise of the project documents submitted to the organization, as well as expertise of applications and reports of their initial assessment, being an official while carrying out this expertise,  ignoring the ban on providing expertise-related consultancy to the initiator,  received a bribe in especially large amount in order to carry out actions in favor of the director of the economic entity.

In particular, the official, in order to assist in receiving a mining license, to draft the relevant documents instead of the director of the economic entity with the aim to eliminate the obstacles in the way of solving this issue, as well as in order not to tell the real geological location coordinates of the mine to the competent authorities and to provide a draft of positive conclusion, demanded and, during the meetings that took place from September 2019 to 8 February 2020, received, in parts,  a bribe in especially large amount − AMD 3.300.000.

Due to the existence of irrefutable evidence, under the control of the operational subdivisions of the RA NSS, on 18 February 2020, the mentioned expert was caught red-handed with the briber while receiving another part of the bribe in the area near the Republic Square of Yerevan and brought in by the officers of the RA NSS. As a result of the personal search the bribe was found and seized.

In connection with apparent cases of crime, a criminal case has been initiated in the Investigation Department of the RA NSS, according to the corresponding articles of the Criminal Code of RA; the official who received the bribe and the economic subject who initiated the expertise have been detained.

Preliminary investigation goes on, relevant measures are being taken to detect all other possible criminal episodes of receiving a bribe, as well as to detect and prosecute all other persons involved in the corruption chain.

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