The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, carrying out a consistent and uncompromising fight against various manifestations of corruption and being faithful to the adopted policy of eliminating these manifestations, as a result of operational and search measures and investigative activities − conducted within the functions vested upon it by the law − detected another apparent case of receiving a bribe by the employees of the ''National Body for Standards and Metrology'' CJSC.
According to the obtained factual data, an official, the head of the laboratory on the mass and catercornered measurements of the “National Body for Standards and Metrology” CJSC, having the authorities to direct, coordinate and organize the activities of the subdivision, being responsible for proper conducting of calibration activities of measuring devices in the field of mass and catercornered measurements, having violated the prohibition provided for by Article 29 of RA Law on Public Service, with respect to conducting official responsibilities, with a previous consent with officials – specialists of the same laboratory – besides the obligatory payments on the issued invoices for services provided to legal entities and private entrepreneurs after conducting the calibration of measurement devices, obtained bribes in different amounts from entrepreneurs from mid 2019 to 23 April 2020 for the clearance pertaining to the service, for not registering the violations detected in the calibration results and for overall favorable treatment. As a result of conducted operative-search measures, it was established that the employees, subordinated to the head of the laboratory of the indicated CJSC, transferred the share from the collected sums of bribes meant for the head of the laboratory, to the latter in the office, during which the indicated persons were brought in by the officers of the NSS of RA.
The bribe was found and seized, the persons receiving the bribe confessed having committed the crime.
In the case initiated according to the corresponding articles of the Criminal Code of RA in the Investigation Department of the NSS of RA, the persons receiving the bribe were detained.
Preliminary investigation goes on, relevant measures are being taken to detect other criminal episodes of receiving a bribe, as well as to detect and prosecute other persons involved in the corruption chain.
Note: The suspect or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent as long as his/her guilt is not proven in a manner prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA - by the court decision entered into legal force.