Monday, March 13 2023 19:06

ArmInfo. The case over violations during the COVID-19 pandemic is also connected with former Minister of Health, and now a member of the National Assembly from the ruling Civil Contract faction Arsen Torosyan. RA Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan stated to journalists on March 13 at a briefing, commenting on the arrest of Yerevan Vice Mayor Gevorg Simonyan, who had previously been Deputy Minister of Health.

When asked how he knew that the case also concerned Torosyan, since  the Anti-Corruption Committee did not mention the former minister,  Grigor Minasyan replied that the former minister himself made  publications about this. <There is no paradox in all this, this is  normal, people have their own views and grievances. In his first or  second statement, Torosyan personally raised the issue that these  orders were given in his time. In publications, he even asked to  participate. Naturally, he is involved in one way or another>, the  minister said.

When asked whether the news circulating in the media that an  application would be filed to the Prosecutor General's Office to  initiate public criminal prosecution against Torosyan and deprive him  of immunity was true, Minasyan replied that he did not have such  information, this was the secret of the investigation.  Minasyan  added that he had read the former minister's statements and was aware  of his intention to participate in the process. <This is the fight  against corruption, when there is no division into friends and foes.  Members of the political team have no privileges," Minasyan said.

It should be noted that Yerevan Deputy Mayor Gevorg Simonyan, who  previously served as Arsen Torosyan's deputy, was arrested on  suspicion of committing fraud. The latter, in turn, on his Facebook  page pointed to the fabricated nature of the criminal case. According  to him, the depreciation of 2 years of painstaking work of the whole  system by these fictitious accusations will cost Armenia dearly. <The  strange thing is that neither the previous minister, that is, me, nor  the current minister were interrogated.  My numerous attempts to get  me interrogated turned out to be futile, and I see intent here,  because after my interrogation, the fictitious thesis that someone  deliberately failed to fulfill their duties would be completely  nullified. After all, the orders mentioned in the statement of the  Anti-Corruption Committee were given by me, and no one could know  better than me both the purpose and the logic of their issuance. One  of the orders concerns the organization of coronavirus work, and the  other concerns the discharge of patients hospitalized with  coronavirus disease. All this gives reason to believe that the  Committee was more interested in publicly targeting these  hard-working individuals than in the circumstances of the case>, the  former minister noted.