Armenian GPO accuses social services of machinations

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Armenia has opened a criminal case on the offences, revealed within the pension system in 2009-2010. Bureaucrats used machinations to embezzle more than 113 million drams from the state budget.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the greatest misuse of funds was revealed at the Ministry of Public Health of Armenia.

Officials of the State Social Welfare Service followed their personal interests and were involved in falsification of records and forged documents by using the names of deceased people. A criminal case was initiated on these and other facts, the press service of the GPO reports.

As a result of committed frauds, in the period of 2009-2010, officials from the above service discharged and appropriated a huge amount - 113,181,900 drams (more than 300 thousand US dollars) from the state budget. "The state suffered substantial damage, which entailed grave consequences," says the GPO's statement.

Let us note here that the 2010 report of the Auditing Chamber of Armenia said that as a result of inspections carried out jointly with "Armenian Post" already in January 2011 pensions at the post offices were received by 20,650 less pensioners than those fixed on the lists.

The facts obtained in the course of studying the activities of the State Welfare Services were presented to the Government of Armenia.

In the end of last year, Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan dismissed Vazgen Khachikyan from the post of the head of the social welfare service.

Mr Khachikyan had repeatedly asserted in response to charges voiced by the press that he had no relation to machinations with the pension money.

As earlier reported by the "Caucasian Knot", as a result of the revisions held by the Armenian Audit Chamber at the ministries of culture, justice, public health, sports and youth affairs, civil management, and of the social fund, other financial violations were revealed.