In Armenia, bribery and other corruption crimes are investigated by the Anti-Corruption Committee and tried by the Anti-Corruption Court. The prosecutor supervises the investigation. These cases often rest on covert recordings and an operation planned in advance. A bribery lawyer must check each step of that operation. Advocate Mnatsakan Marukyan, a criminal defense lawyer in Yerevan, defends persons accused of taking, giving or mediating a bribe and of other corruption crimes.
First steps
- Do not discuss the case on the phone or in messengers.
- If you are called to the Anti-Corruption Committee, talk to a lawyer before the questioning.
- Use the right to remain silent until your lawyer arrives. From the moment of arrest you have the right to a lawyer of your choice.
- Do not sign a protocol that you disagree with. Write your objections in it.
- Do not contact the person who reported the case or the witnesses. This can be seen as pressure and become a ground for detention.
- Within 72 hours you must be released or brought before a court.
In corruption cases, searches at home and at the workplace are common. See what to do during a search.
What a bribery lawyer checks
Provocation
Many corruption cases include an operation in which marked money is handed over under the control of the investigating body. The body may record a crime that a person already intends to commit. When an agent’s insistence, repeated requests or pressure push a person to the crime, this is provocation. The European Court of Human Rights considers a conviction based on provocation a violation of the right to a fair trial. The defense establishes who started the contact, who offered the money, how many times, and what the body knew before the operation.
Recorded conversations
Audio and video recordings are often the main evidence. The defense asks for the full recordings, including the parts that the prosecution did not use. It checks whether there was a lawful basis and a court permission where the law requires one. It compares the transcript with the recording, establishes whose voice it is and reads the words in their full context. If necessary, the defense asks for a voice identification or linguistic examination.
What the payment was for
For bribery, the prosecution must prove that the money was given for an act or omission connected with the official’s powers. A loan or a payment for real work has a different legal meaning. Whether the official could do what was asked also affects the qualification of the act.
Arrest and confiscation of property
In corruption cases the investigating body often asks to arrest property. Money and property received as a bribe are subject to confiscation. The defense shows the lawful origin of the property and challenges the arrest of assets that have no link to the charge.
Detention
Only a court can order detention. Advocate Marukyan presents the arguments for bail or another measure that does not deprive the person of liberty: a permanent address, work, family and the person’s conduct during the investigation. More on this: pretrial detention.
How advocate Marukyan helps at the Anti-Corruption Committee and in court
- He defends the client at the Anti-Corruption Committee from the first hours.
- He studies the recordings and the documents of the operation.
- He files motions to exclude evidence obtained through provocation or without a lawful basis.
- He defends the client at the Anti-Corruption Court and then on appeal and in cassation.
Advocate Marukyan works in Armenian, Russian and English. The first consultation is free. The office is at Athens street 3/3, Yerevan. Call +374 91 403961, or write on WhatsApp or Telegram. Advocate Marukyan is available 24/7 for arrests and searches.