Official Leaves $10,000 Bribe in Sealed Folder on Desk, Reported to NSS

The investigation into a criminal case at the RA Anti-Corruption Committee has revealed a case of bribery involving a high-ranking official, amounting to $10,000, equivalent to 4,599,800 AMD.

Based on sufficient evidence gathered in the criminal case, it has been established that S. Z. approached Vahagn Gevorgyan, the head of the Water Committee of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, in December 2021 and January 2022, offering assistance for his appointment as assistant, deputy or chief secretary. However, in all instances, S. Z. was denied.

Subsequently, on April 27, 2022, under the pretext of proposing an irrigation system, S. Z. visited the Water Committee and met with Vahagn Gevorgyan. To influence the proposal by the committee chairman to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure for any of the aforementioned appointments, S. Z. offered a bribe of $10,000, equivalent to 4,599,800 AMD, which he placed in a sealed folder on Gevorgyan's desk, claiming it contained documents for review.

Upon discovering that the folder contained not documents but the bribe money, Vahagn Gevorgyan immediately informed the National Security Service of Armenia (NSS). On April 29, 2022, he summoned S. Z. to his office. At Gevorgyan's request, S. Z. retrieved the money he had offered as a bribe and was immediately apprehended by NSS officers. The said amount was discovered and confiscated during a personal search of S. Z.

For committing the criminal act mentioned above, S. Z. has been charged under the first part of the third paragraph of Article 312 of the RA Criminal Code. He has been placed in custody as a preventive measure. The preliminary investigation of the criminal case has been completed. The case has been submitted to the supervising prosecutor with a request for confirmation and transfer to the court.