A high-ranking officer who headed former President Serzh Sarkisian’s security detail for over two decades was released from pre-trial custody on Tuesday after posting a record-high bail of 1 billion drams ($2.1 million).
Armenia’s Court of Appeals on Friday ordered investigators to free Vachagan Ghazarian from custody on bail. Ghazarian, who is facing corruption charges, delayed the hefty payment and remained under arrest in the following days, however.
A spokeswoman for the Armenian Justice Ministry’s prison department told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that he has been set free after all pending investigation. The Special Investigation Service, a law-enforcement body conducting the probe, confirmed that he paid what appears to be the largest court bail in Armenia’s history.
Ghazarian stands accused of failing to declare to a state anti-corruption body at least $5 million in cash mostly held in his and his wife’s bank accounts. He was obliged to do that in his capacity as deputy head of a security agency providing bodyguards to the country’s leaders. He held that position until the end of May.
Ghazarian was arrested on June 25 and formally charged three days later with illegal enrichment and fraudulent asset disclosure. He is the first person in Armenia known to be prosecuted on such charges.
Ghazarian apparently denied the charges when he appeared before a district court in Yerevan on June 28.
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