An official from the Hrazdan Municipality in Armenia’s Kotayk Province provided certain benefits to three eligible voters on the condition that they participate in the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, 2026, and vote for the Civil Contract party, the Anti-Corruption Committee reports.
The official prepared and issued documents enabling the citizens to qualify for electricity consumption subsidies. The benefit covered the cost of 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month supplied by Electric Networks of Armenia, a closed joint-stock company.
In another instance, the municipal official issued a certificate containing false information about engagement in livestock farming. The document was intended to enable the recipient to obtain an agricultural loan from a bank and secure additional interest subsidies from Armenia’s Ministry of Economy, thereby gaining access to financial resources.
In addition, the same official issued false certificates to two other citizens stating that they were engaged in growing agricultural crops. These documents were intended to be used to obtain agricultural loans from Armenian commercial banks and benefit from additional interest subsidies provided by the Ministry of Economy.
According to the law enforcement agency, through these actions, the official assisted the individuals in fraudulently obtaining state funds, specifically money allocated by Armenia’s Ministry of Economy.
Criminal prosecution was initiated against the municipal official under Article 219, Part 1, of Armenia’s Criminal Code on three counts; Article 445, Part 1, on three counts; and Article 46 in conjunction with Article 255, Part 1, on two counts.
The preliminary investigation authority filed a motion with the court requesting pretrial detention as a preventive measure against the official. The court partially granted the motion, ordering house arrest instead.
The criminal case materials were transferred to Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Court on October 2, 2026, for further examination.
