Armenian police thwart distribution of election bribe worth 9 million drams

YEREVAN, June 11. /ARKA/. Armenian law-enforcement authorities have detained two people who are suspected of trying to distribute 9 million drams (about $17, 3000) as electoral bribes in return for votes for a bloc participating in the early parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place on June 20, the Prosecutor General's Office revealed today.

It said the police had obtained information that in order to secure votes in favor of the Pativ Unem (I have the honor) bloc, comprising ex-president Serzh Sargsyan's Republican Party of Armenia and the Homeland party of former chief of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan in the village of Janfida, the former mayor of the town of Armavir Ruben Khlgatyan, who is in the electoral list of the same bloc, handed a resident of the village of Janfida, identified as G.P. nine million drams.

According to the police, the two men were detained on June 10 at 16:30 in the house of G.P. in the village of Janfida, when the former mayor was handing over the money to G.P. The police said as soon as they saw the police officers, they threw a plastic bag they had in their hands with the money into the courtyard of the house, which was seized during the inspection of the incident site.

On the same day, the Prosecutor's Office of the Armavir region opened a criminal investigation into the case.

Ruben Khlgatyan and G.P. refused to testify. Police said they were taking all the necessary actions to clarify all the circumstances of the case. -0-