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Moreover, today almost all the world is threatened by vital terrorism and the states which are concerned about the health and life of their citizens take different measures aimed at realizing strict market control. Whereas, Armenian consumers do not have such safety guarantees. What safety guaranteed can we talk about when the ‘guardsmen’ are corrupted? How can we feel safe when all the state is flourishing in corruption, including the State Food Safety Inspectorate of the RA Ministry of Agriculture? In fact, the population of our country is threatened not only by external enemies but also by internal.

The former Head of the Food Safety and Quality Control Inspectorate of the State Food Safety Inspectorate Artur Varzhapetyan is one of many who could not resist the temptation of money. Moreover, he demanded a bribe endangering our health and even life. It has been revealed lately. The investigation towards other participants of the crime still continues.

 

Artur Varzhapetyan was arrested on August 18 of the current year. The same day the arrest was enforced as a preventive measure against him, which is still in force. By the decision of the preliminary investigation body from August 20, 2012 and in accordance with article 311 section 1 of the RA Criminal Code A. Varzhapetyan was involved as a defendant in the scope of the criminal case investigated by the Department of especially important cases of the Chief Investigation Department of the RA Police. On October 16, 2012 by the decision of the preliminary investigation body the part concerning Artur Varzhapetyan was separated from the main case, which means that the investigation of the initial criminal case will continue separately. 

 

According to the sentence of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Arabkir and Qanaqer-Zeytun administrative districts of Yerevan Artur Varzhapetyan being the Head of the Food Safety and Quality Control Inspectorate of the State Food Safety Inspectorate of the RA, thus being an official who performs organizational-managerial functions, demanded and received a bribe of a particularly big amount from the Chairman of ‘Gohar 20’ LLC Arsen Hambardzumyan and private businessman Smbat Simonyan in exchange for realizing actions in favor of the latter.

 

The realization of control over the compatibility of the normative documents on food, materials in contact with food and food additives, as well as food production, storage, transportation, processing, sale with the defined requirements are among the functions of the Head of the Inspectorate.

 

The investigation revealed what Varzhapetyan demanded and received the bribe for. It was confirmed by the judgment that A. Varzhapetyan received AMD 150 thousand from the Head of the ‘Gohar 20’ LLC Arsen Hambardzumyan in exchange for not reporting the violations related to ensuring food safety requirements, permitted at the fabric of bread and shops property of the mentioned LLC, connected with food production, preservation, transportation, processing and selling. This was done with the help of the leading specialist-inspector of Yerevan of the mentioned Inspectorate Nune Ghukasyan, the bribe was equally shared between Varzhapetyan and the latter.

 

Besides that A. Varzhapetyan received AMD 100 thousand in December 2011 from the private businessman Smbat Simonyan in exchange for not reporting the violations related to ensuring food safety requirements, permitted at the fabric of bread by the address Mamikonyants 2 and shops, property of the mentioned businessman, connected with food production, preservation, transportation, processing and selling as well as not realizing annual inspections. This was done with the help of the leading specialist-inspector of Yerevan of the mentioned Inspectorate Narine Kostanyan and Nune Gharibekyan, the bribe was shared between the three of them: Varzhaeptyan received AMD 50 thousand and Narine Kostanyan and Nune Gharibekyan AMD 25 thousand each.

 

The court considered the evidence reasoned enough to find A. Varzhapetyan guilty on the grounds of article 311 section 1 of the RA Criminal Code and sentence him to one year of imprisonment and deprive him of the right to hold official positions with organizational-managerial functions during one year.

 

In this case the maximum penalty could be 3 years and the minimum 1 year of imprisonment. The court decided to appoint the minimum penalty. A question appears why the court made such a decision towards Varzhapetyan, when both the judicial authorities and other powers talk about the necessity of the fight against corruption.

 

The answer to this question is in the mentioned judgment, where many circumstances are mentioned, including ‘the absence of circumstances aggravating the responsibility and the penalty’.

 

In accordance with article 63 of the RA Criminal Code ‘committing the crime within a group of people, organized group or criminal group’ is considered as circumstances aggravating the responsibility and the penalty. Nevertheless, the court ignored the fact that A. Varzhapetyan was acting in a group with Nune Gharabekyan and Narine Kostanyan.