Prosecutor`s Office seizes former defense minister`s mansion in USA 

ArmInfo.  The mansion of former Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan in the USA, worth over $2 million, has been seized. This was reported to OTV by the RA  Prosecutor's Office.

According to Prosecutor Sashik Avetisyan, the decision was made due  to the fact that the person accused of laundering 100 million drams  purchased this property with proceeds from crime. According to the  Prosecutor's Office, the legal income of Sargsyan and his wife as of  2006 was 6 million drams.

It is noted that in 2006, Sargsyan, being an assistant to the 2nd  President of the Republic of Armenia, purchased an apartment in the  center of Yerevan from his acquaintance, businessman Samvel  Mayrapetyan, at a reduced price of 23.6 million drams.

, the prosecutor noted. To  this end, in 2013, Sargsyan and Mayrapetyan entered into a fictitious  deal, as a result of which the latter purchased an apartment on  Abovyan, which had previously belonged to him, for 160 million drams,  and purchased two apartments and two parking spaces on Northern  Avenue for 100 million drams.

The preliminary investigation also revealed that in 2022, Vigen  Sargsyan, with the help of his father, sold real estate on Northern  Avenue for $2.6 million or 1 billion 218 drams to the son of the  co-owner of the bookmaker company Roman Badalyan. Then, for  $2 million 050 thousand, Vigen Sargsyan purchased a mansion in the US  state of Massachusetts, where he currently lives.

An apartment on Abovyan Street, two apartments and two parking spaces  on Northern Avenue have also been seized. The case has been sent to  court for consideration. The trial will be conducted in the absence  of Vigen Sargsyan, since the latter is wanted.

Samvel Mayrapetyan is also a defendant in the case, but since his  whereabouts are unknown, the terms of the case have been suspended.