29 march 2021

Case of Receiving Bribe by RA Police Officer Detected

Case of Receiving Bribe by RA Police Officer Detected

Officers of the Yerevan City Department of the RA National Security Service cooperating with the relevant services of the RA Police, as a result of large-scale complex operative-search measures taken, found out that M.Ye., being an official, holding the position of a senior inspector of the community police division of the Nor Nork division of the Yerevan City Department of the RA Police, having the rank of police major, constantly exercising the functions of a government representative, abusing the authority and position arising from the office, having committed apparent illegal actions in favor of N.H., who is a witness in the criminal case investigated in the Investigation Department of Avan and Nor Nork administrative districts of the Yerevan Investigation Department of the RA Investigative Committee, i.e. a petition to the officials so as not to initiate a possible criminal prosecution against  witness in the mentioned criminal case N.H., as well as prior notification of the latter in case of being called as a witness within the framework of a criminal case, obtaining assistance on the advice of A.Gh. and by removing obstacles to the direction of the interrogation, on 22 March, 2021 in one of the cafes located in the 2 block of Nor Nork of Yerevan city, demanded from N.H. a bribe on an especially large scale – 5.000 USD, equivalent to 2.638.800 AMD, however, with the assistance of A.Gh. as a result of  having received advice on reducing the size of the bribe and, as a result of bargaining with N.H., demanded from the latter a particularly large bribe – 4.000 USD, equivalent to 2.111.048 AMD. N.H. accepted the offer of M.Ye. on giving a bribe, agreed to pay the amount in parts, promised to give a part of the bribe within a few hours – 2.000 USD, after which he left the cafe for the promised amount of the bribe.

On the way, N.H., realizing that giving a bribe is also a criminal offense, voluntarily appeared at the RA National Security Service and submitted a report on the crime on the requirement by an official of a bribe on an especially large scale, after which, already within the framework of the carried out operative-search measures on the same day the agreed amount of a bribe in the amount of 2.000 USD with the instruction of A.Gh. transferred in the same cafe to the person pointed out by M.Ye., thus actually with the help of the latter, M.Ye. disguised the fact of receiving the amount of bribe himself. Then, M.Ye., continuing his criminal intent, demanded from N.H. to transfer the rest of the bribe to him again through A.Gh. on 24 March, 2021 at about 1:00 p.m.

On 24 March, 2021, at about 1:00 p.m, not far from the same cafe, within the framework of the operative-search action “Imitation of receiving or giving a bribe,” immediately after receiving personally by A.Gh. the demanded 2.000 USD bribe from N.H. by M.Ye. and transferring it to another accomplice E.Ye., the latter, including M.Ye., who was at the scene of the incident, were caught by officers of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia and brought in to the RA National Security Service.

Within the framework of the criminal case initiated in connection with the incident in the Investigation Department of the RA National Security Service based on the direct suspicion of committing a crime, M.Ye., A.Gh. and E.Ye. have been detained. During the personal search of M.Ye. and A.G. a part of the bribe received was found, and the rest - as a result of a search in the passenger compartment of the car driven by E.Ye.

In the conditions of accumulation of sufficient evidence obtained in the criminal case, decisions have been made to involve the police officer and his accomplices as accused on the grounds of the relevant articles of the RA Criminal Code. Arrest has been chosen against M.Ye. and E.Ye. as a measure of restraint, and  non-custodial measures of restraint have been chosen against A.Gh. and N.H.

Complex measures are being taken in the direction of establishing all the circumstances of the case, the full circle of the persons who committed an apparent crime, giving an appropriate criminal-legal assessment to their actions and, as a result, effectively implementing the tasks prescribed by Article 2 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code.

The National Security Service informs that the modus operandi of detecting corruption manifestations in various spheres of public administration, their complete eradication will be continuous, in this regard it will show more intolerant approach and urges to show law-abiding behavior.

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.