Armenian top official blasts former presidents as “robbery kings” focused on illicit wealth

Taron Chakhoyan, Deputy Chief of Armenian Prime Minister's Staff, has sharply criticized former Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, accusing them of prioritizing their illicit wealth over the welfare of Armenia.

In a social media post, Chakhoyan referred to the former leaders as “robbery kings” and suggested that their political actions were driven primarily by the need to protect their illegal assets and those of their associates, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

According to Chakhoyan, both Kocharyan and Sargsyan were largely indifferent to Armenia’s fate during their time in power, as their primary concern was safeguarding their ill-gotten wealth. He specifically highlighted Kocharyan’s time in office, describing the former president as unconcerned with the nation’s well-being, particularly when his illegal property was protected under the regime of Serzh Sargsyan.

“Kocharyan, who once boasted about riding a dead lion in Tanzania, was never concerned about Armenia’s fate,” Chakhoyan wrote. “His focus was solely on protecting his illegal assets, which were safeguarded under Sargsyan’s administration.”

Chakhoyan also criticized Serzh Sargsyan, who stepped down from office in 2018. He argued that Sargsyan, like Kocharyan, had little interest in Armenia’s future, as long as his family’s illicit wealth, including assets belonging to his son-in-law, were not under threat.

"Serzh Sargsyan, who quietly exited the political stage between 2018 and 2020, demonstrated little concern for Armenia’s future, as the illicit assets of his son-in-law, Mishik, had not yet come under scrutiny," he noted.

The Deputy Chief of Staff emphasized that the “robbery kings” became alarmed only when the confiscation of illegal assets began, signaling their true concern for Armenia’s future.

To recall, Armenia’s Prosecutor General, Anna Vardapetyan, has revealed the extensive list of assets that the government is seeking to confiscate from former President Robert Kocharyan and his associates.

The lawsuit, which targets assets of illegal origin, is currently under review in the courts.

Speaking before the Armenian parliament, Vardapetyan outlined the specific properties and financial resources under dispute. The defendants in the case include Robert and Bella Kocharyan, Sedrak Kocharyan and Zaruhi Badalyan, Levon and Siranush Kocharyan, Gayane Kocharyan, and Vigen Chatinyan.

As part of a concerted effort to combat financial crime and systemic corruption, the Prosecutor’s Office is pursuing the confiscation of a broad array of high-value assets linked to the defendants. 

These assets are alleged to have been illicitly acquired during Kocharyan’s time in office, and the Prosecutor's Office aims to seize them in the name of the Armenian state.

By Vafa Guliyeva