Ex-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan may soon find himself in the dock

An investigation looking into the embezzlement of state funds of more than one million USD, in which the third president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is a main suspect, has come to an end.

Sargsyan stands accused in the so-called ‘diesel’ case.

The investigation says that evidence shows that former Minister of Agriculture of Armenia Sergo Karapetyan spent 489 million AMD (more than one million dollars) from the reserve fund of the government between January 25 to February 7, 2013. This amount was allocated as a subsidy for the purchase of 15 million liters of diesel fuel under government assistance programs.

Investigators say the theft was organized by President Serzh Sargsyan, at the instigation of the owner of the company Flash, Barsegh Beglaryan.

For the commission of these crimes:

• Sergo Karapetyan was charged with the misappropriation or embezzlement of another’s property on an especially large scale using his official position,

• Serzh Sargsyan and Barsegh Beglaryan are charged with complicity.

The former president himself does not admit his guilt and considers this a case of political persecution.

• Court denies bail for Armenian ex-president

Sargsyan is the second Armenian president to face criminal charges since the velvet revolution of 2018. While Sargsyan is still free, his predecessor, Robert Kocharyan, has been in prison for more than a year.