NSS Director says stolen sums should be returned to state budget

Director of National Security Service of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan has clarified why no one has been arrested after the exposure of tax evasion cases by major supermarket networks of Armenia. The NSS Director told the reporters at the parliament that they are not interested in arresting and imprisoning people. “We are more interested in returning the sums stolen from the state to the state budget”,  Vanetsyan as said.

Artur Vanetsyan assured that any official, incumbent of former that will appear in their view and if there will be enough grounds for bringing them to responsibility, they will stand responsible.

Vanetsyan said that it’s often said that this or that individual stands behind this or that case, but it’s rather difficult to prove it legally. “And the article of the criminal code says that in case of restoring the losses inflicted on the state the charges are dropped. This is not something we do arbitrarily, it’s not me to decide not to imprison. It is provided by the article of the criminal code. When someone returns the stolen money he is exempted from criminal responsibility”, the NSS Director said.