The Armenian parliament controlled by the Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan voted today to allow criminal prosecution of former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, the head of the opposition Hayastan faction in the National Assembly.
He was deprived of parliamentary immunity at the request of Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan by secret ballot. Opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem factions boycotted today’s session.
Prosecutor General said Ohanyan, who served as defense minister in 2008-2016, is charged with three counts of embezzlement on a large scale and abuse of official duties.
One of the counts is considered classified. According to another count, under a contract concluded by the defense ministry with Knights Bridge Communications AM CJSC, members of a criminal group were able to mortgage an army-owned property and embezzle part of the money (about 1.84 billion drams).
