The Armenian Investigation Committee reports that ex-Chief of Police Vladimir Gasparyan has been charged in connection with the criminal case of abuse of his official position by certain officials in the Ministry of Defense.

This case concerns the period when Gasparyan served in the Ministry of Defense, first in the Military Police of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia (1997-2010) and then as the Deputy Minister of Defense (2010-2011). During these years, three persons, who were designated as military policeman in military units, served as driver and bodyguards for Serzh Sargsyan’s brothers, Lyova and Alexander.  As a result, these military servicemen, failing to perform their duties in the military unit, were not dismissed from their posts, resulting in an unreasonable payment of 21,691,481 drams from the state budget.

Gasparyan has been charged under Article 375.2 of the RA Criminal Code.