YEREVAN. – The first court hearing on the criminal case against Armenia’s third President 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 has been set for February 25. Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned this today from the judicial information system.

The case has been assigned Judge Vahe Misakyan of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan.

They were 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.