YEREVAN. – Vazgen Khachikyan, the former Chief of the State Social Security Service of Armenia, was released from prison on Thursday.

A representative from the Public Relations Department of the Penitentiary Service spoke with Armenian News-NEWS.am and confirmed this information.

As per the Penitentiary Service, Khachikyan was freed considered having completely served his sentence.

He was in custody for about five years.

On December 8, 2014, Vazgen Khachikyan, who was charged with fraud and embezzlement of large public funds, was found guilty by a capital city Yerevan court and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Khachikyan, together with several other State Social Security Service officials and persons in charge, had appropriated suspended pensions totaling 267,266,000 drams (approx. $593,745, at the time) from 2006 to 2010.