The Special Investigation Service (SIS) has announced the conclusion of the preliminary investigation into the case separated from the criminal case concerning the embezzlement of particularly large amounts of state funds through state support programs for the procurement of fuel, with respect to Serzh Sargsyan, Barsegh Beglaryan, Sergo Karapetyan, Samvel Galstyan and Kevork Harutyunyan. The case, along with the indictment, has been submitted to the supervising prosecutor with a motion to send it to court.
“During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case examined in the Special Investigation Service, on the basis of the combination of sufficient evidence obtained, it has been established that, organized by the third President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and instigated by the owner of the “Flash” company Barsegh Beglaryan, with the assistance of former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Samvel Galstyan and the head of the Crop Production Department of the same ministry Kevork Harutyunyan, by former Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan, during the period from January 25 to February 7, 2013, a particularly large amount of funds — 489,160,310 Armenian drams — allocated as assistance for 15,391,765 liters of fuel sold during the implementation of state support programs was embezzled from the reserve fund of the Government of the Republic of Armenia,” the SIS statement said.
According to the SIS, Sergo Karapetyan has been charged under Article 179, Part 3, Point 1 of the Criminal Code — “embezzlement or misappropriation committed in particularly large amounts” — and Serzh Sargsyan, Barsegh Beglaryan, Samvel Galstyan and Kevork Harutyunyan under Article 38 (complicity)-179, Part 3, Point 1 of the Criminal Code.
The Special Investigation Service charged the third President of Armenia with organizing the embezzlement of half a billion drams on December 4 of last year. A written undertaking not to leave the place of residence has been chosen as a preventive measure against Serzh Sargsyan.
