Armenian Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan was not flustered by reporters when asked today if President Serzh Sargsyan has lied earlier this year by saying that companies belonging to Gagik Tsarukyan, the then Prosperous Armenia party leader, were guilty of violating the law.

Minutes earlier, during a break at 2016 budgetary talks at the National Assembly, Khachatryan told reporters that a committee looking into Tsarukyan’s business dealings had found no such major violations.

Khachatryan said he was merely instructed to investigate Tsarukyan’s seven companies and that a search of six came up empty-handed.

“Serzh Sargsyan didn’t say there were violations, but that the businesses must be examined. We did so and found nothing fundamentally wrong,” Khachatryan told reporters.

Turning to the problem of endemic corruption in Armenia, Minister Khachatryan said, “We are a country at war today. There are serious issues, including corruption. But there are changes being made on this front.”

Reporters asked the minister how members sitting on the anti-corruption committee could effectively fight the problem if they are corrupt themselves.

“Naturally, such questions can be raised. You will see who is fighting and who isn’t,” Khachatryan replied.