Official Receives 25,231,000 AMD in Illegal Salary: NSS Disclosure

The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has revealed a significant case of corruption involving an official, who has reportedly engaged in large-scale embezzlement and fraud during their tenure.

According to the facts gathered, from 2015 to 2019, the director of the 'Zorak' Mental Health Care Center used their official position to embezzle property entrusted to them. They purportedly registered several citizens in various positions within the organization, while these individuals did not actually attend work. Their data was included in the timekeeping records and salary calculation lists, culminating in a total of 25,231,000 AMD in salaries being withdrawn from state funds, which were then misappropriated by the official.

In addition, between 2015 and 2018, signatures were forged in the attendance log of employees who were actually out of the country. Furthermore, during the period from 2018 to February 2020, several beneficiaries were admitted and retained at the center for round-the-clock paid care without the necessary documentation, with the corresponding daily fees being received in cash from the beneficiaries' relatives at the end of each month, rather than being deposited into the organization's accounts. This also resulted in significant embezzlement.

Due to these violations, the NSS's investigative department has initiated criminal proceedings against the official of the 'Zorak' Mental Health Care Center for committing serious acts of embezzlement and fraud.