Criminal Case Regarding Armenian Satellite Initiated; President's Name Circulates

The Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed that a criminal proceeding has been initiated regarding Armenia's first satellite launched into space. This was reported by 'Azatutyun.' The specific article under which the criminal case has been opened, the number of defendants, and their identities have not been detailed by the prosecutor's office, which refers to a provision of the 'Law on Freedom of Information' that restricts access to information if it contains state, official, banking, or commercial secrecy. The prosecutor's office has not specified the nature of the secrecy involved.

The criminal case is being examined by the Anti-Corruption Committee. It relates to potential abuses in the satellite program conducted by the Ministry of High-Tech Industry. At that time, the minister was the current president, Vahagn Khachaturyan. It is noted that the president's name has been circulated in publications regarding misappropriations.

'Is this secrecy related to Khachaturyan? The law enforcement agencies are not providing details, and it is also not known whether the president has been interrogated,' the media outlet states.

The presidential office has informed the media that they do not comment on or address the issue.

'Armsat 1 was launched into Earth's orbit in May 2022 by SpaceX from the launch site at Cape Canaveral, USA. The project is being jointly implemented by the Armenian state company 'Geokosmos' and the Spanish company 'Satlantis.' Officially, it has not been disclosed how much Armenia paid for the satellite and its launch into space, but it is known that in April 2022, the government allocated approximately 7 million dollars to 'Geokosmos,' which had signed a contract with the Spanish 'Satlantis.' It remains unknown whether this amount covers the full cost of the satellite and its launch into space,' the media outlet reported.