Ex-Armenian police chief embezzles over five million dollars The case taken to court

Former head of the Armenian police Vladimir Gasparyan embezzled about 2 billion drams (about $5.1 million - ed), the Anti-Corruption Committee of the republic reported.

It has completed the investigation of Gasparyan's case.

Caliber.Az reports with reference to Armenian media that the case was handed over to the prosecutor for consideration in court.

According to the case materials, Gasparyan, who held various positions in the state apparatus in 2000-2018, as well as A. Hakobyan (who actually headed his security in 2011-2018), purchased houses and cars that significantly exceeded their income, and the income of their family members. They registered part of this property in the name of their relatives and close friends. In particular, Gasparyan registered several cars purchased in a car dealership in Yerevan for a total of 150 million drams (about $385,000) in the name of Hakobyan.

During the same period, from 2000 to 2018, Gasparyan's wife held various positions in the military police of the Defence Ministry and then in the Armenian police, while not reporting for duty. Thus, she was illegally paid a salary totalling 36 million drams (about $92,000).

As a result of these and other offences (abuse of authority, embezzlement, and other corrupt activities) Gasparyan embezzled about 2 billion drams, which he then formally legalised in various ways. He spent 700 million drams (about $1.8 million) of this sum on repairing private houses belonging to him, as well as on repairing the production facility.

Vladimir Gasparyan was Armenia's Deputy Interior Minister from 1993-1996, headed the military police from 1997-2009 and the republic's police in 2011-18.