It is planned to dissolve the Special Investigation Service in Armenia. 20 investigators will be temporarily appointed investigators of the Anti-Corruption Committee. The RA Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan said this at the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, presenting for discussion in the second reading the package of the Draft Law on the Anti-Corruption Committee and adjacent laws  in which changes were made after the adoption in the first reading.

“As a result of discussions with law enforcement agencies, it was decided to dissolve the Special Investigation Service.  In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the preliminary investigation of Corruption Crimes and distribution of cases, the draft stipulates that as a temporary solution, investigators of the Special Investigation Service will be temporarily appointed as Anti-Corruption Committee investigators until a competition for investigators of the Anti-Corruption Committee is held. “20 people will be appointed through that procedure,” Badasyan said.

Once the competition procedures have been approved, SIS investigators must participate in the competition on an equal conditions with other individuals. Other SIS investigators are expected to serve as investigators in other investigative services.

It is envisaged that the Anti-Corruption Committee will be formed by the beginning of October.

Touching upon other changes made in the draft, Badasyan said that it was decided to define a separate type of service, that is, a service in the Anti-Corruption Committee, in order to avoid possible problems with the status of persons carrying out operative intelligence functions. The positions of the committee employees and the requirements for the positions were reviewed.

The head of the Anti-Corruption Committee from the three nominees proposed by the Competition Committee will be appointed by the government, instead of the Prime Minister, as it was provided in the past.  The draft with changes was approved and will be discussed at the NA plenary sitting.