Armenian law-enforcement authorities are poised to arrest and prosecute a parliament deputy on corruption charges, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced on Wednesday.
Pashinian refused to name that deputy, saying only that the criminal case relates to the largest ever bribe paid in Armenia.
“There is a case pending against a member of the National Assembly, which is a 100 percent proven case,” he said on the parliament floor. “We have been waiting for two months for an official response [from abroad] to a document which is at our disposal. As soon as it arrives there will be a motion to arrest that deputy.”
“Our embassy has not quite done a good job and maybe there are certain connections with that country … and they are dragging out things,” he said. “Well, we can wait for another month. But there is no other option, the deputy will be arrested.”
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Pashinian clarified that investigators possess a copy of an international cash transfer and are now trying to get hold of its original. He again refused to identify the suspect.
The investigation is most probably conducted by Armenia’s Special Investigative Service. The law-enforcement agency declined to comment on Pashinian’s statements.
Another source told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that the suspect is a member of the parliamentary faction of the former ruling Republican Party (HHK).
Representatives of two other parliamentary forces, Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun, ruled out the possibility of corruption charges against any of their lawmakers.
“We would never tolerate anyone like that,” said Dashnaktsutyun’s Armen Rustamian.
Rustamian at the same time questioned Pashinian’s statements, saying that the prime minister left the impression that he is meddling in a criminal investigation.
One HHK deputy, retired General Manvel Grigorian, was already arrested in June immediately after security forces raided his properties in and around the town of Echmiadzin. They found many weapons, ammunition, medication and field rations for soldiers provided by the Armenian Defense Ministry. They also discovered canned food and several vehicles donated by Armenians at one of Grigorian’s mansions.
The parliament was quick to allow investigators to prosecute and keep him in pre-trial detention on charges of illegal arms possession and embezzlement. The once powerful general denies the accusations.