CORRUPTION-RELATED OFFENCES GROW 38% IN ARMENIA IN 2009

ARKA
Oct 27, 2009

YEREVAN, October 27. /ARKA/. The rate of corruption-related crimes
grew 38% to 398 cases recorded in Jan-Sept 2009 from 288 committed
at the same period a year earlier, Hunan Poghosyan, chief of Armenian
Police’s division combating organized crimes, said on Tuesday.

"Gross embezzlement, power abuse and bribery are viewed as corruption",
he said.

Poghosyan said that 22 of the 398 offenses recorded this year were
cases of power abuses committed for embezzlement against nine in 2008,
58 were gross embezzlement cases against 11 in the previous year, 96
tax evasion cases against 104 previously and 63 official malfeasance
forgery cases against 38.

Offences against the state constitute the majority of the cases
this year.

"Of 629 such offenses (523 in 2008), 117 are economic crimes (105 in
2008)", Poghosyan said.

He also said that six cases of banknote forgery were disclosed in
Jan-Sept 2009.