I Have Returned the Looted Funds Over the Last 28 Years to the State. Vaanetsyan

“You sat next to Serzh Sargsyan and declared that the looted funds were returned to Armenia more during your tenure as the head of the NSS. During whose administration were you returning the looted funds?” This question was raised by a journalist during a press conference with former NSS director Arthur Vaanetsyan.

In response to the question, Vaanetsyan stated that he returned the funds looted during the last 28 years of governance, meaning during the administrations of all three presidents. Armtimes.com reports.

According to Vaanetsyan, if the people had given them their votes and they were in power, he would have continued his work. “Regardless of whether these people were representatives of our friendly, allied political forces, my relatives, and friends. If they have stolen one dram, they must return that one dram. Whoever has violated the law must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law—from me to all of you,” said Vaanetsyan.

In response to the remark that if there were violations during Serzh Sargsyan's administration, how could he cooperate with him, Vaanetsyan stated that during Nikol Pashinyan’s government, their teammates also committed violations and were arrested, but he did not leave that team for that reason. “Yes, there were violations during Serzh Sargsyan's tenure, but were there violations specifically attributed to Serzh Sargsyan in those three years?” noted the former NSS director.

When pointed out that Serzh Sargsyan is currently facing a criminal case, Vaanetsyan remarked that there is no official whose activity is being examined for violations and who is not found to have committed any.