Tuesday, April 28 2020 12:44

ArmInfo.The General Director of the group from the list of large taxpayers of Armenia is accused of giving a bribe in the amount of $ 22,401,000 to an official from  the State Revenue Committee (SRC).

So, according to the statement of  the National Security Service of  the Republic of Armenia received by ArmInfo, within the framework of  the criminal case under investigation about abuses by a number of  high-ranking officials of the State Revenue Committee of the Republic  of Armenia, factual evidence was obtained that a group of business  entities, including the general director of the concern, included in  the list of largest taxpayers in Armenia, gave a bribe in the amount  of $ 22,401,000 to a person who held the post of head of the SRC and  then Minister of Finance (Gagik Khachatryan - ed. note). The transfer  of money occurred through the sons of an official.  The purpose of  the bribe is to provide patronage by the aforementioned official  through his line of business, including not interfering of customs  and tax bodies in the activities of the trading organizations of the  aforementioned person, ensuring their unhindered operation, easing  control by state supervisory services, and subject to the conditions  for drawing up more favorable administrative acts.

In order to conceal the real origin of this money, at the initiative  of the sons of the official, the aforementioned entrepreneur  transferred the above amount to the accounts of non-resident  organizations registered abroad and related to them during 2011, and  to conceal the criminal nature of the transaction, two loan  agreements were formally signed.  The RA NSS noted that the director  of the above economic entity was charged, and arrest was chosen as a  measure of restraint. 

The preliminary investigation is ongoing, all necessary measures are  being taken to identify the entire chain of persons involved in  criminal activity.  As ArmInfo previously reported, on April 24 it  became known about the detention of the General Director of Multi  Group Concern LLC Sedrak Arustamyan, which was connected with the  case being investigated by the NSS regarding the former head of the  SRC Gagik Khachatryan.  Arustamyan was charged under Article 315.1 of  the RA Criminal Code (not stopping the unauthorized seizure of state  or communal property, as well as not stopping the construction of  unauthorized buildings, structures and not destroying illegal  structures). The case concerns the construction of a hotel complex in  the capital's Abovyan street in violation of the laws. In addition,  Arustamyan, for tax evasion and money laundering, was charged as a  defendant in a case of abuse during the construction of the  North-South highway. Meanwhile, Gagik Khachatryan himself is accused  of embezzlement on an especially large scale and abuse of office.  Gagik Khachatryan and his relative Karen Khachatryan (former SRC  employee), who is also involved in this case, were detained on August  27 last year. He was charged under Part 2 of Article 308 of the  Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (Misappropriation or  embezzlement of funds on an especially large scale) and part 2 of  Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (Abuse of  official authority entailing reckless consequences.