YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: The NSS [(National Security Service)] wanted to extort a testimony against [ex-President] Serzh Sargsyan by keeping a colonel of the armed forces in custody for 6 months, but did not succeed; they had to release [him] in silence.

It is about Vahan Avetisyan, the head of the Armed Forces Radio-Electronic Combat Division, who was arrested by the NSS in a criminal case related to the allegedly useless weapon acquired during Serzh Sargsyan's rule for 42 million [US] dollars. In particular, they wanted to extort from the colonel that Serzh Sargsyan acquired TOR air defense antiaircraft missile systems and received a "kickback" in return.

It should be reminded that on March 11, 2020, during the constitutional referendum election campaign in Tatev community of Syunik Province, [PM] Nikol Pashinyan had said regarding Serzh Sargsyan, among other accusations, that Sargsyan's government had acquired 42mn-dollar worth of weapons which could not be used during military operations.

It should also be reminded that on April 3, Vahan Avetisyan had addressed an open letter from the prison to the RA Prime Minister and said that he was being persecuted by the chief of General Staff [of the Armed Forces] Artak Davtyan and his deputy, Stepan Galstyan. According to Avetisyan, the latter hinder his activities in the NA [National Assembly] April [2016 four-day war] inquiry committee. After his demobilization from the armed forces, Avetisyan had started working at the [aforesaid] inquiry committee, as an expert.

It should be noted that the law enforcement agencies have not yet informed the public anything about the course of this criminal case. Vahan Avetisyan's lawyer also declined from giving clarifications, saying that the case is being investigated under the name of state secret.