Zovak Community Leader Charged with Abuse of Power

The investigation by the Gegharkunik regional investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee has concluded regarding the apparent abuses committed by the community leader of Zovak in the Gegharkunik region and employees of the community administration. Charges have been brought against two individuals.

According to the information gathered during the investigation, the leader of Zovak community, who has held the position since 1996, during a period from June 11 to August 6, 2017, while not attending work and failing to fulfill his official duties, utilized his official position to instruct the timekeeper to make false entries in the attendance records of the employees, indicating that the deputy mayor attended work on those days.

Subsequently, the community leader signed and endorsed attendance records containing clearly false information, resulting in salary payments to the deputy mayor financed by the community, thereby causing significant damage to the community's financial resources.

Based on sufficient evidence obtained, the community leader has been charged under the first part of Article 179 and the first part of Article 314 of the RA Criminal Code, while the timekeeper has been charged under the second part of Article 38-179 and the first part of Article 38-314 of the Criminal Code. A prohibition on leaving has been imposed on them as a precautionary measure. The investigation has concluded and the criminal case has been sent to court with an indictment.