Charity or voter bribery: Armenia`s Anti-Corruption Committee tol  examine Syunik governor`s ecision to distribute cash to citizens

ArmInfo. The Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia is conducting an investigation into a decision signed by the Governor of Syunik in February, according to which  funds were distributed among citizens who applied to the regional  administration for assistance.

This was stated by Committee Head Artur Nahapetyan in a conversation with journalists on February 24, when asked whether there are any guidelines or regulations for heads  of local government bodies to ensure they do not violate the  statutory ban on charity during the pre-election period.

As a reminder, on February 6, President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed a  decree scheduling the next elections to the National Assembly of  Armenia for June 7, 2026. From that moment until the election results  are tallied, a ban on charity, as stipulated by both the Criminal  Code and the Electoral Code, is in effect. "We are investigating  whether the official is a party member, whether the funds were  distributed based on relevant citizen applications, and for what  purposes they were distributed. After the investigation is complete,  the public will be informed of the results," he stated.

As for the "legal threshold" for such cases, he said each case is  considered individually.

"In each specific case, we determine which cases are legally  problematic and which are not, depending on the circumstances. Right  now, I cannot determine in advance which cases will be considered a  violation of the charity law and which will not. If we do not  initiate an investigation, we will thoroughly clarify the  circumstances that do not justify an investigation and inform the  public," Artur Nahapetyan said.