Armenia’s former Minister of Economy, Vahan Kerobyan, has been charged in connection with the corruption case that shook the Ministry of Economy two weeks ago.
The following day, on February 16, Kerobyan was sentenced by the Anti-Corruption Court to two months house arrest, bringing the total of the detained to eight. Kerobyan will be appealing the court’s decision and stated that he does not believe the charges are politically motivated.
Kerobyan who resigned on February 14 was invited on February 15th to be questioned by the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. When entering the Investigative Committee building, Kerobyan stated to “Azatatyun” that he is not the accused and has not yet been questioned.
Kerobyan resigned on February 14 in the wake of the same corruption scandal he is now being charged with which involved the former Deputy Minister of Economy. Earlier today, Press Secretary to the Minister, Astghik Sargsyan, also announced her resignation.
Two weeks ago, Armenia’s NSS and Criminal Investigation Department detained seven individuals, five of them being officials of the ministry, including the Deputy Minister of Economy, Ani Ispiryan, who had been dismissed a day earlier by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Ani Ispiryan, who arrived in Armenia as a participant in the Armenian government’s iGorts program for Diaspora Armenians, has reportedly been detained as part of an investigation into corruption within the ministry.
On January 31, Armenia’s… pic.twitter.com/0yg7SUbRF7
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) February 1, 2024
The officials from the Ministry of Economy are alleged to have assisted their favored participant (Synergy) in winning the “Establishment of the Bank of Public Investment Projects” competition. Currently, the former Deputy, along with two representatives of Synergy are under house arrest, while Synergy’s founder and director, Ashot Hovhannisyan, is in police detention for two months.
