Thursday, August 29 2019 17:38

ArmInfo. The National Security Service of Armenia requested some documents from the State Revenue Committee regarding the criminal case against the former head of the SRC, former Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan. Current chairman  of the Committee, David Ananyan, reported this to journalists after a  government meeting.

Ananyan said that the SRC provided the NSS with the requested  documents. He explained that the documents provided by the NSS relate  to the activities of various business entities.

It should be noted that former head of the SRC, former minister of  finance Gagik Khachatryan was detained on charges of embezzlement on  an especially large scale and abuse of official position. As the head  of the National Security Service Arthur Vanetsyan assured, the  question is about millions of dollars.  Gagik Khachatryan was  detained along with his relative Karen Khachatryan. The latter, under  the leadership of Gagik Khachatryan, worked at the SRC and is also  accused of embezzlement on an especially large scale and abuse of  office.  However, as lawyer of Khachatryan, Yerem Sargsyan, assured  in the territories belonging to former Minister of Finance Gagik  Khachatryan, where searches were conducted by the National Security  Service, there were  no  subject matters  that could be of  significance for the criminal  case against him.  

Sargsyan also noted that Gagik Khachatryan was formally detained, but   de facto, it was not a detaintion, since the former minister   voluntarily visited the NSS from the early hours and participated in   investigative activities. "I don't think that he was detained,  despite the fact that a corresponding decision was drawn up.    Regarding the detention, it should be noted that, according to the   law, it is carried out either immediately after the commission of the   crime or in the course of preventing the crime. Meanwhile,  Khachatryan accused of crimes allegedly committed by him from   2010-2016 during his tenure in various positions.  Obviously, he   cannot be arrested for actions committed in 2010, "the lawyer said,   adding that in any case the issue will be resolved within 72 hours,   accordance with the law.  To recall,  Khachatryan is undergoing yet  another case under the jurisdiction of  the Special Investigation  Service. In the framework of this case, he  is held together with the  Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan.  The question is about  abuses in the process of distributing  preferential fertilizers to  peasants.  According to the investigation, the amount of abuse  reaches 800 million drams, which, however, were recovered. However,  the criminal case is ongoing. As Vanetsyan noted the day before, most  likely, both cases will be merged into one proceeding, since two  criminal cases cannot be initiated against one person at once.  Over  the years Gagik Khachatryan held high positions under both the  presidency of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. In particular, he  was appointed to the post of chairman of the State Revenue Committee  in August 2008. From 2014 to 2016, he headed the Ministry of Finance  of Armenia. Various large businesses are affiliated with the name of  Khachatryan, both in Armenia and abroad.