Four charges with election brines in Armenia`s Gyumri 

ArmInfo.  A candidate from a bloc of parties participating in the early elections of the Council of Elders of the Gyumri community scheduled for March 30, 2025, violated the ban on charity by promising voters money and goods under the guise of charity, the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia reports.

On March 27, the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia reported that 8  people were detained in the case of giving and receiving election  bribes, as well as violating the ban on charity during the elections  in Gyumri, including the father and son of the Gyumri mayoral  candidate from the opposition bloc Martun Grigoryan -  Karen and Kamo Grigoryan. They were released from the courtroom on  March 28. The court chose a preventive measure in the form of  administrative supervision against Kamo Grigoryan and prohibited him  from leaving his apartment from eight in the evening until eight in  the morning.

According to the Committee's statement today, the candidate of the  bloc promised a Gyumri resident, who was in close relations with him,  to provide the necessary funds to finance the process of sewing and  purchasing clothes (uniforms) for the members of the dance group he  led, while promising to transfer other expenses necessary for  equipping the dance group, with the aim of providing them at the  expense of the party.

The preliminary investigation of another criminal case showed that a  Gyumri resident, in collusion with a number of individuals, promised  and offered a cash bribe to two voters for participating in the  elections and voting for the party bloc he represented. The latter  accepted the offer, promising to vote for this party bloc in exchange  for the said electoral bribe. In addition, the same person agreed and  came to a preliminary agreement with the above-mentioned voters to  also offer and provide cash to other voters for participating in the  elections and voting for the party bloc. They took the personal data  of a number of citizens entitled to vote, with the aim of bribing  them.

Four persons were charged under the relevant articles of the Criminal  Code of the Republic of Armenia for giving and receiving election  bribes, as well as for violating the ban on charity; administrative  supervision and a ban on absence were applied as preventive measures  against them.

All the accused pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them  and gave confessions.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal case has been  completed. The prosecutor approved the indictments, and the case  materials have been sent to the Anti-Corruption Court of the Republic  of Armenia.