The Armenian Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) has revealed significant evidence of corruption involving the mayor and chief architect of Gyumri, following extensive operational, intelligence, and covert investigative actions.
According to the ACC, the investigation indicates that the Gyumri mayor and chief architect, acting in collusion, demanded and received bribes from citizens. As part of the criminal proceedings, public prosecution and arrest orders have been issued against eight individuals, including the mayor.
Investigators found that the mayor and chief architect, upon learning that an approximately 1,500-square-meter unauthorized building had been constructed at 1/9 Garegin Nzhdeh Street in Gyumri, sought to enter into a “corrupt agreement” with the property owner. They allegedly promised not to take measures to demolish the structure and further prepared falsified official documents to present the building as legally constructed. In exchange, they demanded a bribe of 4 million Armenian dram.
The chief architect, in coordination with the mayor, reportedly met multiple times with the property owner to discuss the legalization process and the staged transfer of the demanded bribe through a phased “action–payment–action–payment” scheme, ultimately securing a promise of payment.
Investigations also revealed that the criminal group targeted Gyumri city council members deemed “undesirable,” collecting information on them to exert control through blackmail, aiming to protect and sustain their corrupt activities.
Additionally, the mayor is accused of attempting to misuse his official powers to transfer municipal land to an associate under artificial pretenses and to legalize a building belonging to a close relative by falsifying official documents. The chief architect is also alleged to have received bribes in at least six other separate cases.
The ACC confirmed that investigative actions are ongoing to fully uncover the structure and mechanisms of the corruption scheme and identify all individuals involved.
Note: Under Armenian law, an accused person is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
