Following today’s government cabinet session, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said he was “pained” to hear of the arrest of Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan on corruption charges.

“There are people arrested in that case. The Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan has also been arrested. I say this with pain, it is a very painful fact,” Pashinyan said, according to a statement released by his office.

On Monday, law enforcement officers raided the ministry as part of an ongoing corruption probe. Piloyan was arrested yesterday.

“Of course, we have no right to disrespect anyone's presumption of innocence. I want to state my attitude that we have publicly declared a zero tolerance for corruption,” Pashinyan said.

In addition to Piloyan, eight persons also face bribery and abuse of power charges and more than ten are to be questioned as suspects.