Anti-Corruption Committee uncovers elaborate vote-buying scheme   linked to "In Our Way" movement

ArmInfo. The Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia accuses several citizens of intending to bribe voters in favor of the party led by Samvel Karapetyan, head of the Tashir City Group.

The Committee promises to henceforth conduct monitoring to identify individuals registered with organizations affiliated with parties participating in the elections who may, in one way or another, be involved in plans to commit or prepare electoral crimes.

A group of individuals, by prior agreement, planned to distribute  electoral bribes to several citizens living in the Armavir region of  the Republic of Armenia, thus ensuring their participation in the  National Assembly elections of the Republic of Armenia, scheduled for  June 7, 2026, and securing their vote for the party they specified.  "To carry out their criminal intentions, the aforementioned  individuals initially opened an office for the public organization  "In Our Way"  in the Metsamor community. Then, between 2025 and 2026,  they officially enrolled various residents of the Armavir region with  the organization, signing them the task  of recruiting people to vote  for the Strong Armenia party in the elections.

It was also revealed that the election bribe, promised in advance and  paid in stages, was presented as a salary, thus attempting to conceal  the fact of the election bribe and minimize its detection," the  department's statement reads.

It is noted that one of the main conditions for employment within the  organization was having a large family and a wide circle of  acquaintances, as well as being a registered voter. Furthermore, it  is reported that, following the decree of the President of the  Republic of Armenia scheduling regular elections to the National  Assembly on February 7, 2026, and under the legal prohibition on  charity, a group of individuals, by prior agreement, donated various  sums of money on behalf of the Strong Armenia party in February-  March 2026 to cover the medical expenses of several residents in the  Armavir region.

A criminal case has been opened under the relevant articles of the  Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, approximately ten searches  have been conducted, and five individuals have been detained.

The Committee calls for refraining from criminal activity, such as   distributing hidden electoral bribes, and violating the legal  prohibition on charity, and calls on citizens to avoid participating  in election crimes or suspicious activities related to them,  including accepting payment for work without performing it. "The  Committee, taking into account the existence of these criminal  mechanisms, will henceforth conduct monitoring to identify  individuals registered in organizations associated with parties  participating in the elections, or associated with them, who in one  way or another, including through covert means, are involved in plans  to commit or prepare crimes during elections," the Anti-Corruption  Agency noted.