More Arrests in Vermishyan Case

The National Security Service (NSS) has arrested the former head of the Yerevan investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia. This action is part of the ongoing case involving Vahagn Vermishyan, the head of the Committee on Urban Development.

According to sources cited by NEWS.am, the NSS previously received factual information indicating that the chairman of the Committee on Urban Development received bribes on five occasions in amounts varying from 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 AMD, either in cash or in the form of goods. In relation to these bribes, he facilitated actions or expedited the decision-making process in favor of certain individuals during the year 2019.

To conceal the receipt of bribes, and in violation of the laws governing entrepreneurial activities, he established a design company under a relative's name. He directed developers and individuals who approached him to engage in transactions with this company, taking measures to ensure favorable decisions from state and local self-government bodies based on documents prepared by the company.

Additionally, during a meeting in his office on October 23, 2019, the chairman of the Committee on Urban Development reached an agreement with the owner of several construction companies to recommend him for the title of “Honored Builder of Armenia,” for which he accepted a bribe of 5,000 USD and approximately 2,300,000 AMD worth of construction materials, equivalent to 2,379,950 AMD.

A criminal case has been initiated in the investigative department of the NSS in accordance with relevant articles of the Armenian Criminal Code, concerning the alleged criminal activities. Several individuals implicated in the crime have been detained, including the aforementioned chairman, who confessed to the commission of the crime during questioning as a suspect. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.