YEREVAN. – Vahagn Vermishyan, Chairman of the Urban Development Committee, was detained on charges of taking bribe. On the one hand, this is a sad, insulting, but on the other hand, a joyous event. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at today's session of the Government of the Republic of Armenia (RA).

"It's sad because an official working under the RA flag and coat of arms and on behalf of the people can extend his hand for a dirty deal," Pashinyan stressed. “This is a personal insult to me, to the people of RA, this is an insult to the values of the velvet revolution in Armenia in 2018.

[But] it is a joyous event in the sense that if there was anyone in the RA who doubts our determination to eradicate corruption, I hope these people realize that everything is much more serious than they can imagine.”

Vermishyan was detained yesterday. Earlier in the day, the National Security Service searched his office, apprehended Vermishyan, and confiscated his computers.