YEREVAN. – Russian Federation (RF) citizen Maher M., who is an Arab, was questioned as a witness in a criminal case in Armenia.

He has reported that, in 2011, he had given $2,500 to a police officer in order to obtain an Armenian passport for his wife. But later realizing that he cannot get this passport, he had demanded his money back.

Also, in 2012, he had petitioned to the same officer of the law with a request for assistance in resolving in his favor a friend’s complaint about him and which was filed with the police, the Special Investigation Service (SIS) informed. And the said police officer had demanded $12,000 to settle this matter, but the RF citizen had refused to give this money.

In 2014, this police officer was appointed as prosecutor.

Pursuant to the report prepared on the basis of the testimony which RF citizen Maher M. had given, a criminal case is filed and the SIS has taken it into consideration.

A respective investigation is underway.