Andranik Kocharyan: Gyumri Mayor's Arrest Not Linked to PM's Speech

The arrest of Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan was not triggered by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's speech, stated Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, and a member of the ruling Civil Contract party, during a press conference today.

Earlier reports indicated that law enforcement agencies stormed the Gyumri City Hall in the morning, attempting to apprehend Mayor Ghukasyan, who had isolated himself in his office. According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, eight individuals have been arrested on charges of receiving large bribes from a group of officials and delivering bribes to them.

Kocharyan emphasized, "He simply should not have violated the law. There were numerous criminal cases related to Ghukasyan and his circle prior to this. It’s not Pashinyan's speech that served as a signal for his arrest, but I must remind you that during the two years I led the 'Disaster Zone Rehabilitation and Assistance' Commission, I dealt with many issues related to him. However, I do not wish to discuss this now and especially to comment on anything concerning the presumption of innocence."

On October 17, Vardan Ghukasyan responded, calling the law enforcement's attention to Pashinyan's statement. He noted that the Prime Minister should clarify what he meant, as being ousted from the public domain equates to being deprived of life.