Armenia accuses another former defence minister

The Armenian Prosecutor General's Office has said that former Defence Minister Vigen Sargsyan has been charged.

While serving as minister in 2016-2018, Sargsyan abused power during distribution of apartments for military personnel, Caliber.Az reports citing the Armenian media.

A building was built for them in the Ajapnyak district of Yerevan (25/6 Hasratyan street). Sargsyan was to make a decision on the distribution of 71 apartments among the needy military.

However, Sargsyan instructed the members of the central housing commission of the Defence Ministry to allocate 26 of these apartments to the military who were not on the list (Sarkisyan chose them himself), as well as three more apartments to those who were not military personnel in January 2018.

Thus, those on the list, needy people, and those who had been on the list for many years did not receive the apartments, the report says.

The Armenian Prosecutor General's Office decided to initiate criminal prosecution against Sargsyan and five members of the central housing commission of the Armenian Defence Ministry (on grounds of abuse of power) on February 8.

The petition for Sargsyan’s arrest has been submitted to the court.