YEREVAN. – Sergo Karapetyan, the former Minister of Agriculture of Armenia, does not accept the charges against him. Karapetyan said this today in a conversation with journalists, while leaving the court.
Asked how such problems arose in the process of providing diesel fuel, the former official said: “Well, they have happened. You see, they have happened."
As reported earlier, the court hearing on the criminal case against third President Serzh Sargsyan and several others adjourned today, and the court will reconvene on March 26.
The first court hearing on the criminal case against Serzh Sargsyan, former Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan, owner of Flash company Barsegh Beglaryan, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Samvel Galstyan, and former head of the Ministry's Department of Crop Production Gevorg Harutyunyan kicked off yesterday, and it continued today.
They are charged under the Criminal Code article on organizing, inciting and assisting large-scale appropriation or squander, whereas former Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan—under the article on large-scale appropriation or squander.
During the investigation of the criminal case being investigated at the Special Investigation Service of Armenia, it was found out that with the organization of third president Serzh Sargsyan, the impelling of the owner of Flesh company Barsegh Beglaryan, with the assistance of former deputy minister of agriculture Samvel Galstyan and head of the Agriculture Ministry’s Department of Crop Production Gevorg Harutyunyan, former Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan misused—from January 25 to February 7, 2013—the government reserve fund for state support the subsidy of 489,160,310 drams allocated for the 15,391,765 liters of diesel fuel that was sold during the implementation of assistance programs.
Serzh Sargsyan does not accept the charge against him. His lawyer Amram Makinyan argues that the charge is concocted. According to press reports, Sergo Karapetyan's testimony is on the bases of this accusation. He and Serzh Sargsyan have been confronted.
