Armenia files third case against Gyumri mayor

Armenian investigators have filed a third set of charges against Gyumri’s mayor, Vardan Ghukasyan, over comments he made recently in the Anti-Corruption Court, according to Armenian media.

The latest accusation comes on top of two earlier cases. The Anti-Corruption Committee first charged Ghukasyan in connection with an alleged bribery scheme.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee later brought a second charge over remarks he made criticising the authorities during a conversation with reporters on 16 September.

Officials say the new charges also stem from statements delivered by the mayor in court in recent days.

On October 20, 2025, the Armenian Anti-Corruption Committee arrested Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, along with seven other municipal officials, including the city’s chief architect, in a major bribery case. 

Prosecutors allege that Ghukasyan and the architect conspired to demand 4 million drams (~US$10,000) from a private citizen in exchange for legalising an unauthorised 1,500-sqm building and preventing its demolition. 

A court has placed Ghukasyan in two-month pretrial detention, as requested by the Anti-Corruption Committee.

By Aghakazim Guliyev