The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, being faithful to the principle of eliminating various manifestations of corruption, within the functions, vested upon it by the law, aimed at countering corruption and combating the legalization of proceeds from crime, as a result of operational and search measures and investigative activities undertaken within the framework of the criminal case initiated and being investigated in the Investigation Department of the RA NSS in connection with the cases of abuse of official powers by a number of high-ranking officials of the RA State Revenue Committee, received factual information that the sons of the high-ranking executive official who previously held the post of the Chairman of the RA State Revenue Committee, then the post of the Finance Minister of RA and consistently implemented the functions of a representative of authority, with a prior agreement with their relative, due to the official position of their father, founded a commercial organization with the aim of supplying goods and providing services in the sphere of information technology for the RA tax and customs authorities. Their father, using his official position contrary to the service interests, for personal interest to illegally promote its economic activity, instructed officials of the RA State Revenue Committee, then officials of the RA Ministry of Finance to cooperate with employees of the mentioned organization and, where possible, to assist them, i.e.  to ensure appropriate participation in procurement procedures in the sphere of information technology, to provide necessary information, to remove emerging obstacles and to apply more favorable procurement procedures. Тhe employees of the organization interrelated with the official, taking advantage of the favorable conditions illegally established as a result of abuse of official position, during 2008-2020 concluded multiple contracts for the supply of goods and services with the RA State Revenue Committee, according to which state funds in particularly large amount were transferred to the company.

Moreover, the mentioned official being in charge of the implementation of the policy of the RA Government in the spheres of generation of the state revenues and management of the state finances, and being aware of the necessity of procurement of works on modernization of information systems and introduction of new information systems of the tax authorities, with abuse of official position, having the intent to steal property in particularly large amount, with the participation of persons who were dependent by employment on him, as well as other persons, ensured the conclusion of a contract on purchase of 19 program modules with the given company at a price considerably higher than the real value. Consequently, though the works provided for in the mentioned contract were conducted for 2.777.410.417 AMD, however, 4.283.580.000 AMD were transferred to the company interconnected with the official out of the state funds, and 1.506.169.583 AMD - the difference in the sum in particularly large amount - were stolen with the assistance of the official's sons with abuse of official position.    

In order to conceal criminal origin of the property obtained as a result of abuse of official powers and the commission of theft in particularly large amount with their use, to distort its real nature, the source of origin and the way of its disposal and to cover up its real ownership, the incomes obtained from the use of the property, apart from investing into  entrepreneurial activity, were converted into cash money in the names of other persons in the form of dividends, loans and other transactions, and were actually disposed by the official’s sons and there relative, as well as were transferred to Ucom LLC through a third party.           

The property in particularly large amount obtained as a result of the commission of the crime and the incomes obtained with its use, by distortion of their real nature, source of origin and real ownership, through bank transfers were directed to the bank accounts of the official's sons, their relative and the organizations interrelated with them, and were invested into their entrepreneurial activity along with other funds.    

Moreover, according to the obtained factual data, the sons of the mentioned high-ranking official, being aware of an agreement on giving a bribe in particularly large amount for general protectionism between their father and the general director of a number of economic entities and the concern included in the top taxpayers list of RA, met with the entrepreneur and discussed the options of handing over the object of the crime. At their initiative, in order to conceal the criminal origin of the money, to distort its real nature, the source of origin, the way of its disposal and to cover up its real ownership, during 2011 the mentioned entrepreneur transferred the bribe – 22.401.000 USD – to the accounts of a number of non-resident organizations in RA which were indicated by and interrelated with them; besides, two loan contracts were formally concluded to conceal and disguise the criminal nature of the transaction.       

Due to the combination of interrelated, reliable sufficient evidence, a charge has been brought against the head of the economic entity, according to the corresponding articles of the RA Criminal Code, and arrest has been chosen by the court as a measure of restraint.

Then, on the basis of the combination of sufficient evidence, on 28 April 2020, the authority conducting proceedings made a decision to change, add to the charge and bring the charge anew against the official's son who stayed in RA and was involved in the proceedings as an accused for assistance in abuse of official powers combined with grave consequences, theft in particularly large amount with abuse of official position, receiving a bribe in particularly large amount, as well as for legalization of incomes in particularly large amount obtained by criminal means. However, the latter, having been duly informed of the necessity to come to the authority conducting proceedings, violated the conditions of the measure of restraint, i.e.  the written undertaking not to leave the place, and didn't come to the preliminary investigation authority and escaped from investigation, after which he was put on the wanted list, and arrest was chosen as a measure of restraint.   

Preliminary investigation goes on; measures are being taken to find the fugitive and to bring him to justice, to detect the whole circle of persons involved in long-lasting and covert illegal activities, the final movement and addressees of the incomes legalized through bank transfers, as well as to ensure the confiscation of the property obtained by criminal means.  

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.