Food safety agency staffer arrested in suspicion of bribery

12:41,

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia says it has arrested a high-ranking official from the food safety agency in suspicion of bribery.

The NSS did not identify the suspect by name, but said that the arrested is the Head of the Veterinary Inspectorate of the State Service of Food Safety of the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to the NSS, the suspect accepted a large amount of bribe from a businessman after granting the latter sheep export certificates to Qatar. The certificates concerned the export of thousands of the animals.

The NSS said they had intelligence reports and have carried out surveillance over the bribe transactions, and both the official and the businessman were caught red-handed. The bribe was handed over to the official in 2019 April and 2019 May. The suspect was arrested during the second transaction. 

A criminal investigation is underway.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan