Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has opened a criminal investigation into alleged vote-buying and other election-related violations involving a candidate running for parliament on the Strong Armenia alliance ticket.

In a press release, the Anti-Corruption Committee said several individuals were detained after authorities uncovered a scheme in which voters in Lori Province were reportedly offered financial incentives, including rent payments, to influence their votes ahead of the elections. The scheme was allegedly organized by a member of the Strong Armenia alliance.

The law enforcement agency said that the suspects, in order to avoid detection and reduce the traceability of their actions, allegedly used intermediaries and vehicles belonging to them, mainly distributed funds in cash, involved employees of affiliated companies and individuals from their circle in the receipt and distribution process, and, to make monitoring of financial flows more difficult, planned to use Russian bank cards for financial transactions.

The Anti-Corruption Committee also released audio recordings reportedly obtained through surveillance, showing conversations between suspects discussing the scheme