YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. National Security Service (NSS) Director Artur Vanetsyan has disclosed few details from the criminal investigation into misuse of particularly large amounts of funds and official misconduct where ex-Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan is a person of interest.

Vanetsyan told reporters that they’ve gathered evidence and carried out large-scale work which eventually led to searching Khachatryan’s residence and offices.

“Before that Gagik Khachatryan was summoned for several times to the investigations department and was questioned as a witness. The combination of the evidence gave us grounds to carry out today’s actions,” he said, referring to the search.

Vanetsyan said that together with Gagik Khachatryan they will also detain Karen Khachatryan, a former State Revenue Committee staffer affiliated with the former finance minister. He said that the investigators will determine the statuses of both men in the investigation.

No charges have been pressed against Khachatryan so far. 

He said the NSS will make a statement on the matter later in the day.

Vanetsyan said the NSS has completed searching Khachatryan’s Tsakhkadzor home.

Asked what kind of money the investigation is about, Vanetsyan said: “It’s about tens of millions of dollars”.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan