YEREVAN. – News was spread that former head Tigran Virabyan of the village board of Armenia’s Ararat Region was detained, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports. 

“His name is linked to the subsidized diesel fuel scandal, at whose center is NA [i.e., National Assembly] Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan.

“Making public that 48,000 liters of the 700,000 liters of the subsidized diesel fuel allocated to Mkhchyan village of Ararat Region was allocated to the brother of the NA speaker, the Finance Ministry Control Inspectorate had sent the results of the inspections in this and in three more regions to SIS [i.e., Special Investigation Service], where a criminal case was opened in connection with the misuse.       

“SIS spokesperson Mikayel Aharonyan, however, neither confirmed nor denied the news about the detainment of the [former] head of the village board.

“In all likelihood, an attempt is made in this way to caution the NA speaker, the rumors about whose potential dismissal have become active,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.