YEREVAN. – Present and former members of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union have set up an initiative group to regulate further action of the Union after its chairman Manvel Grigoryan was arrested.

Members of the group strongly condemn the “monstrous” disclosure, but at the same time they note that it undermines the authority of thousands of honest members of the union.

Thus, members of the group decided to propose setting up a joint initiative group to organize an extraordinary congress of the Yerkrapah Union.

The initiative group also decided to offer suspension of financial and technical activities of the Union, to invite an independent audit with the participation of specialists from the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Justice to ensure transparency of the process.

After the searches by the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, General Manvel Grigoryan was detained on June 16, on suspicion of illegal acquisition and possession of weapons and ammunition. Subsequently, he became a suspect in embezzlement too.

On June 17, the NSS disseminated footage in which large quantities of weapons and ammunition, a luxury car collection, as well as a military ambulance, food, clothing, and several other items that were intended for the army as assistance were discovered at Grigoryan’s mansion in Armenia and in areas belonging to him.

Manvel Grigoryan on Tuesday was stripped of his parliamentary immunity and was arrested, and he now faces criminal charges.