Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Monday again claimed to have eliminated “systemic corruption” in Armenia and ruled out any clemency for current government officials suspected of graft.

Pashinian also insisted that he did not order law-enforcement authorities to bring corruption charges against former President Serzh Sarkisian.

Sarkisian was charged last week with “organizing” the embezzlement in 2013 of 489 million drams (just over $1 million) in government funds allocated for the provision of subsidized diesel fuel to farmers.

Both he and his Republican Party (HHK) rejected the accusation as politically motivated. The HHK claimed that the authorities and Pashinian in particular are seeking to “silence” their political opponents.

“This logic raises the question of why I ordered a case worth 400 million drams, not 4 billion drams,” scoffed Pashinian. He said critics’ claims that the alleged 2013 embezzlement was not large-scale enough to warrant the ex-president’s prosecution are a manifestation of “corrupt thinking.”

Pashinian has accused Sarkisian, his relatives and cronies of corrupt practices both before and after coming to power in last year’s “Velvet Revolution” led by him. Some of those relatives are among dozens of individuals who have been prosecuted on graft-related charges over the past 18 months. Most of them held senior state positions during Sarkisian’s rule.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Monday again claimed to have eliminated “systemic corruption” in Armenia and ruled out any clemency for current government officials suspected of graft.

Pashinian also insisted that he did not order law-enforcement authorities to bring corruption charges against former President Serzh Sarkisian.

Sarkisian was charged last week with “organizing” the embezzlement in 2013 of 489 million drams (just over $1 million) in government funds allocated for the provision of subsidized diesel fuel to farmers.

Both he and his Republican Party (HHK) rejected the accusation as politically motivated. The HHK claimed that the authorities and Pashinian in particular are seeking to “silence” their political opponents.

“This logic raises the question of why I ordered a case worth 400 million drams, not 4 billion drams,” scoffed Pashinian. He said critics’ claims that the alleged 2013 embezzlement was not large-scale enough to warrant the ex-president’s prosecution are a manifestation of “corrupt thinking.”

Pashinian has accused Sarkisian, his relatives and cronies of corrupt practices both before and after coming to power in last year’s “Velvet Revolution” led by him. Some of those relatives are among dozens of individuals who have been prosecuted on graft-related charges over the past 18 months. Most of them held senior state positions during Sarkisian’s rule.

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/30316207.html