Robert Kocharyan, Armenia’s second president and a leading opposition figure, was detained Tuesday with his eldest son, Sedrak, as part of a major corruption investigation.

Allegations of Illicit Wealth

According to an official statement released by Armenia's Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC), Kocharyan is accused of exploiting his presidential office between 1998 and 2008 to amass a vast family fortune through bribes and the heavily discounted, illegal acquisition of state property.

Investigators provided an overview of high-profile real estate schemes where prime land was allegedly funneled to Kocharyan's family and developed into lucrative businesses. The ACC alleges that Kocharyan accepted massive bribes to facilitate personal business deals. 

Furthermore, investigators are scrutinizing a staggering volume of financial wire transfers linked to Kocharyan's son between 2001 and 2019, totaling approximately AMD 144 billion, US$ 309 million, €77 million, and 18 million rubles.

Authorities have detained six people, including Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak, searched several family-owned properties, and begun sealing off related businesses, including a Toyota dealership and the Orange fitness club.

“Another assault by the authorities against President Kocharyan and his family has begun,” Kocharyan’s office said in a statement.

Shortly after the detention, the Armenia’s Prosecutor General's Office (PGO)  announced that a criminal case has been launched against Kocharyan on charges of abuse of official power, bribery, and large-scale money laundering. 

The PGO reports that criminal proceedings have also been initiated against nine other individuals, including Kocharyan’s son, a former defense minister, a former prime minister, a former Yerevan mayor, and a businessman.

Kocharyan Hospitalized

Shortly after his early-morning detention, Kocharyan's health rapidly declined. Emergency medical personnel were called to the Anti-Corruption Committee headquarters.

Kocharyan's office stated that the ex-president had recently undergone a medical procedure, and considering his condition, doctors recommended an immediate transfer to a medical institution for further examination.

Following his detention and subsequent hospitalization, the ACC confirmed that it will formally petition the court to remand Kocharyan in pre-trial custody.

A Heated Parliamentary Exchange

Kocharyan’s arrest came immediately after a heated exchange in parliament between current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Kocharyan's younger son, opposition MP Levon Kocharyan. Law enforcement officers also searched Levon Kocharyan’s home on Tuesday.

During the exchange, Levon Kocharyan accused Pashinyan of exerting political pressure on the judiciary, arguing that a prime minister should not publicly dictate who goes to prison or who is stripped of their assets.

Pashinyan fired back, questioning how the Kocharyan family had accumulated such vast wealth, and vowed that his "political mission" is to ensure that assets acquired at the public’s expense are returned to the state "piece by piece."

Although the ACC has not officially linked Tuesday’s raids to this exchange, the timing highlights long simmering political rivalry between Pashinyan and Kocharyan. 

Kocharyan previously faced charges regarding his conduct during a deadly post-election crackdown in Yerevan in 2008, though those charges were eventually dropped in 2021.

Investigation Expands to Include Serzh Sargsyan

Another former Armenian president, Serzh Sargsyan, who succeeded Kocharyan in 2008, was also summoned to the Anti-Corruption Committee headquarters in Yerevan later Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters outside the building, Sargsyan claimed he was not yet aware of the specific reasons for his summons. “When we receive the case materials, we will talk. I don't understand anything,” Sargsyan told the press.

Photo: robertkocharyan.am