BRUSSELS, Belgium—On May 8, the European Union stated that it will not cut funding for Armenian civil society groups, despite the alleged embezzlement of some of its grants that has led to the arrest of a senior EU staffer in Armenia, reported RFE/RL Armenian service.
Marine Papyan, the grants program coordinator at the EU delegation in Yerevan, was arrested late last month in suspicion of embezzling grant money provided by the EU delegation. Armenia’s Investigative Committee has stated that this case involves a “particularly large amount of money.”
Over a dozen other Armenian citizens were charged with embezzlement and fraud as a part of the same investigation. Three of them were arrested in March 2016.
The Investigative Committee added that these individuals pocketed EU funding for a project that was supposed to be implemented by a youth NGO.
On May 8, Piotr Switalski, the head of the EU delegation, reiterated that Papyan’s arrest followed an internal inquiry conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), an anti-corruption body. The OLAF detected financial irregularities and alerted Armenian law enforcement authorities, added Switalski.
At a news conference, Switalski also explained that both the EU and Armenia should take this case seriously.
“We will continue our substantial assistance because we realize that it is important to Armenia,” he said. “We are not discouraged by such sad cases.”
On April 10, the EU Delegation announced 1.5 million euros ($1.6) in fresh grants to civic groups interested in monitoring the Armenian government’s use of EU economic aid. It launched another grant program worth 2.9 million euros the following day. The scheme is designed to benefit cash-strapped local communities.
Why are Armenians so prone to crime? See Armenian Crime – Glendale, Armenian Medicare Fraud, HHS OIG Most Wanted, etc.