ArmInfo. In 2020, the number of criminal cases of a corrupt nature decreased by 11.9% or 167 compared to the same period in 2019. The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia reports that in the past year, 1,810 materials were prepared on corruption-related crimes, and 1,232 criminal cases were initiated.
At the same time, the ministry is convinced that the reduction in the number of crimes of this nature is due to two factors: "First, before the amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia dated March 25, 2020, the list of corruption crimes was determined by the orders of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Armenia, according to which 70 crimes were considered corruption crimes. In particular, the data of 2019 are summarized within the specified number of crimes. Meanwhile, according to the legislative amendments, the list of corruption crimes is defined by the RA Criminal Code, which includes 28 crimes, and the results of 2020 were summed up on the basis of statistical data on these crimes. The second reason for the law enforcement agencies was the restrictions imposed in the country against the background of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as well as the problems caused by the war in Artsakh," the Prosecutor General's Office noted.
Nevertheless, the department continued, in 2020, it was possible to complete 716 criminal cases of a corrupt nature, of which 183 were criminal cases against 410 people were sent to court with indictments. In total, 1,356 people were brought to justice in 2,535 criminal cases related to corruption, which is 7.3% more than in 2019.
The criminal prosecution of 204 people, 61% of whom were dismissed due to groundlessness. At the same time, positive results were recorded in terms of compensation for the damage caused to the state by this crime. In particular, 223% or 2.5 billion drams more damage was recovered for completed materials and criminal cases of a corrupt nature (2 billion drams in 2019, 4.5 billion drams in 2020). In general, the damage to the state in criminal cases pending in 2020 amounted to about 227 billion drams against about 105.7 billion drams in 2019.
Of the persons brought to criminal responsibility in the framework of criminal cases of corruption investigated in 2020, 671 are civil servants and officials, which is 26.6% more than in 2019 (530). Among them are the outgoing President of the Republic of Armenia, the former Chairman of the National Assembly, deputies, ministers, deputy ministers, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, the judge of the Court of General Jurisdiction, the judges of the bankruptcy Court, the Chairman of the City Planning Committee of the Republic of Armenia, the Chief of the Police of the Republic of Armenia and the Deputy Chief of the Police, the Head of the State Property Department, the former Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, about one and a half hundred officials of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, including commanders of military units, the former head of the Air Defense Department, etc.