Small town official suspected in embezzlement, electoral bribery, fraud

Armenia’s law enforcement agencies say that a local town official and his family are suspected in embezzling state funds and vote-buying.

Mher Movsisyan, the head of Malishka – a small village in the province of Vayots Dzor – is suspected in accepting about 27,000 dollars in cash from Ashot Arsenyan, a candidate in the 2017 elections who was running for parliament. The candidate for MP had given the money to the town official to use it as election bribes, police said. Movsisyan is a member of the Republican Party.

In addition to the electoral fraud, Movsisyan is also suspected in misappropriations. Police say he fraudulently hired his wife as a nurse at a local school to embezzle the salary. She never went to work, police said.

Movsisyan is also suspected in falsifying official documents to embezzle state fund’s under the cover of social assistance.

Police have forwarded the case to the Special Investigative Service.