Citizen Throws 3000 Dram on Patrol Officer's Service Vehicle Seat

During the investigation into the criminal case initiated under Part 1 of Article 312 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia by the Anti-Corruption Committee, sufficient evidence has been established showing that Telman Harutyunyan attempted to bribe employees of the patrol service of the RA Police to avoid the drawing up of an administrative violation protocol.

This was reported by the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Republic of Armenia. Specifically, on January 24, 2022, around 4:00 AM, officers from the first brigade of the patrol service of the RA Police stopped Telman Harutyunyan's vehicle, which was operating with an expired driver's license.

In order not to have an administrative violation protocol drawn up, Harutyunyan attempted to bribe the officers by taking cash from his pocket. However, the patrol officers repeatedly warned him that it is prohibited to offer bribes to police officers, explaining that it is a prosecutable act. Despite these warnings, Harutyunyan threw three 1,000 dram banknotes onto the front seat of the police service vehicle through the open window during the drawing up of the administrative violation protocol, after which he was taken to the Shengavit police department on suspicion of bribery.

Telman Harutyunyan has been charged under Part 1 of Article 312 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia for attempting to bribe patrol service employees. A signature not to leave has been chosen as a measure of restraint against him. The pre-investigation of the criminal case has been completed. The case has been sent with an accusatory conclusion to the supervising prosecutor for approval and submission to court.

Considering the recent incidents involving bribes or offers to bribe employees of the RA Police patrol service, we again remind that giving a bribe is considered a prosecutable act according to Article 312 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, with a penalty of up to 3 years of imprisonment. Therefore, we urge everyone to refrain from such actions and to exhibit lawful behavior.

Notice: An individual suspected or accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, by a court decision that has entered into legal force.