Armenian tax inspector charged with bribery

Panorama, Armenia

July 9 2019

The Armenian National Security Service has charged a senior official of the State Revenue Committee (SRC) with taking a bribe from a mining company, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The chief inspector of the SRC Goris Tax Inspectorate, being aware that Blue Basalt LLC was engaged in stone mining and sale without permission, as well as didn’t register most of its employees, demanded and received from the company about 600,000 drams in bribes.

Factually, in 2017-2018, the company caused substantial damage to the state by selling around 700 cubic meters of stone at a price of 17,500,000 drams without paying taxes, the statement said.

A criminal case has been initiated. Preliminary investigation is underway.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS