Andranik Piloyan Refuses to Write Resignation Letter

According to the newspaper 'Zhoghovurd,' there were notable developments prior to the detention of Armenia's Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan. Specifically, political authorities offered Piloyan the opportunity to write a resignation letter, which he refused. Following this, law enforcement entered the ministry based on specific operational information and complaints.

The newspaper attempted to clarify the information with the minister's defense attorney, Tigran Sargsyan, who mentioned that apart from filing an appeal against the preventive measure of detention, he could not provide any further information.

It is important to note that on March 31, the Anti-Corruption Committee officially announced that charges had been brought against the Minister of Emergency Situations, and a request for his detention had been presented to the court, which was approved. Eight other individuals are accused in the criminal case, while more than 10 have the status of suspects.

During the investigation, it was revealed that A. Piloyan, with the assistance of his advisor A.H., received a large bribe in 2022 for actions carried out within the scope of his authority benefiting a private company cooperating with the ministry. Additionally, during the search of A.H.'s residence, firearms and ammunition were discovered and seized.

It was also uncovered that H.E., the head of one of the ministry's units, facilitated the Minister of Emergency Situations receiving a large bribe in the form of a heating system, in exchange for employing the appropriate individual in the ministry.

For more details, refer to today's issue of the newspaper.