YEREVAN. Jan 29 (Interfax) - A criminal case, in which former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is charged with embezzlement and misappropriation, has been forwarded to courts, Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Arevik Khachatryan said.
"The bill of indictment has been sanctioned by a prosecutor. The criminal case has been forwarded to courts," Armenian media quoted Khachatryan as saying.
According to the Special Investigative Service, former agriculture minister Sergo Karapetyan embezzled 489.16 dram, a little over $1 million, which were provided for subsidizing the supply of diesel fuel to farmers in the period between January 25 and February 7, 2019.
According to the Special Investigative Service, the embezzlement was organized by Sargsyan at the initiative of Barseg Beglaryan, head of the company Flesh, and with assistance from former deputy agriculture minister Samvel Galstyan and Gevork Arutyunyan, head of one of the ministry's departments.
Ex-minister Karapetyan was charged with large-scale misappropriation or embezzlement. Sargsyan, Beglaryan, Galstyan, and Arutyunyan have been charged with complicity in misappropriation or embezzlement.
According to case materials, more than 17,000 liters of diesel fuel should have been supplied under a state program to help farmers. The supply company Flesh, which offered a higher price on diesel fuel than the other supplier, Maksur, was chosen by order of Sargsyan.
"The amount of the state subsidy was 1.26 billion. But if the process had been carried out by the company Maksur, the amount would have been 846.18 million dram. As a result, 489.16 million dram was stolen from the state budget," the Special Investigative Service said.
The Armenian Prosecutor General's Office earlier declined an appeal contesting the decision to seize Sargsyan's property.
The motion for charges against former president Sargsyan to be dropped was earlier declined, despite constitutional guarantees of inviolability.
Sargsyan has not admitted guilt.