Vardan Oskanyan Interrogated in the Case of Robert Kocharyan and Armen Gevorgyan

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan has been interrogated regarding the bribery case involving the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan. This was announced by prosecutor Gevorg Baghdasaryan during a briefing with journalists after the court session.

“In this case, Oskanyan has the status of a witness,” added Baghdasaryan.

Robert Kocharyan has been charged with using his official position as President of Armenia from April 9, 1998, to April 9, 2008, to assist in actions benefiting Silva Hambardzumyan, the sole participant and director of “TSSCI Armenia” LLC. Specifically, he is accused of facilitating the transaction for the sale of 100% of the company’s shares to a non-resident company in Armenia for the exploitation of certain minerals, in exchange for a bribe of 3,000,000 USD equivalent to 927,000,000 AMD, which he allegedly received in February and May of 2008 with the assistance of Samvel Mayrapetyan.

Armen Gevorgyan is accused of receiving a bribe equivalent to 1,000,000 USD, or 309,000,000 AMD, from Silva Hambardzumyan within the framework of the aforementioned transaction between February 2006 and April 21, 2008, while he was a public official, and legalizing the income received.