Media: Armenian premier dismisses security chief due to "data leakage"

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent decision to dismiss Sarkis Hovhannisyan from the post of National Security Service (NSS) chief is linked to a suspected leak of information about his family, including his wife Anna Hakobyan.

A convenient reason for the dismissal of Sarkis Hovhannisyan was found on September 9 after fireworks exploded in the courtyard of the Yerevan-based Dvin Music Hall, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Armenian newspaper Zhokhovurd.

Pashinyan was said to be frightened by sounds like explosions since Dvin Music Hall is located next to the government house.

“When the Prime Minister of Armenia asked Sarkis Hovhannisyan, he deceived his boss by telling him that the fireworks organizers had permission. While the head of the Armenian police reported to Nikol Pashinyan that the organizers did not have permission, for which the Ministry of Internal Affairs fined the company Gold Fire LLC for 100,000 drams,” Zhokhovurd writes.

The newspaper also notes that Hovhannisyan will not be left without a position. He will be assigned somewhere because he has a huge amount of information.