Armenia to Clarify Law on Illicit Enrichment Declarations

The Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the National Assembly discussed in its first reading at its November 21 session a draft law proposing amendments to the Criminal Code.

According to the Deputy Minister of Justice of the RA, Gevorg Kocharyan, the draft proposes changes to Articles 443 and 444 of the code. These articles pertain to illicit enrichment and the submission of false data, concealment of declarable data, or failure to submit a declaration by a person obligated to submit a declaration to the Corruption Prevention Commission.

According to the Deputy Minister, the need for the amendments arose with the introduction of the institution of annual income declaration for individuals. In practice, a field for varied interpretation was created as to whether the criminal liability provided for in Article 444 could apply in cases of non-submission of declarations to the SRC or the presentation of false data in them.

The adoption of the draft is intended to clarify the scope of the subjects of the crime, preventing the risks of broad interpretations and contradictions in practice related to the object and subject of the crime.

In a related report, MP Lilit Minasyan clarified that the draft does not apply to the general public. The regulation applies to those persons who are obliged to submit a declaration to the Corruption Prevention Commission.

The committee gave a positive conclusion to the draft; it is planned to be included in the draft agenda of the upcoming regular sessions of the National Assembly.