The preliminary investigation of the criminal case examined by the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Republic of Armenia revealed a case of paying a bribe of 10,000 USD equivalent to 4,599,800 AMD to a high-ranking official.

Sufficient evidence obtained ոn the criminal case proved that in December 2021 and January 2022, S.Z. applied to Vahagn Gevorgyan, Chairman of the Water Committee of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, to promote his appointment to the positions of assistant, deputy or general secretary, but in all cases was rejected by him.

Then, on April 27, 2022, under the pretext of presenting a proposal on the irrigation system, S.Z. visited the Water Committee of the RA TAI and met Vahagn Gevorgyan. In order to be appointed to any of the above mentioned positions by the Chairman of the committee to submit a proposal to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia or to facilitate to the process of being appointed to the position of the General Secretary by using the authority deriving from the position, S.Z. gave Vahagn Gevorgyan a particularly large bribe of 10,000 USD, equivalent to 4,599,800 AMD, which he placed in a closed folder on his desk, noting that there were documents in it and asked him to study them.

Vahagn Gevorgyan, having found out that there were not documents in the folder, but money that was the subject of a bribe, immediately informed the RA National Security Service about it, then on April 29, 2022, he called S.Z. to his office. The latter took the money given by him as a bribe at the request of V. Gevorgyan, after which he was caught by the RA NSS employees. The said money was found and seized from S.Z. during a personal search.

S.Z. was charged for committing the above-mentioned criminal act under Article 312, part 3, point 1 of the RA Criminal Code. Taking into custody was selected as a measure of restriction against him.

The investigation of the criminal case has been completed. The case with the indictment was handed over to the supervising prosecutor with a request to approve it and send it to the court.

Notification. the person accused of a crime is considered innocent until his guilt is proven in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Criminal Procedure Code by a verdict entered into legal force.