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Security Chief Of Armenian Tycoon, Politician Detained


Gagik Tsarukian
Gagik Tsarukian

YEREVAN -- The security chief for Armenian tycoon and politician Gagik Tsarukian has been detained, an adviser to the chairman of the country's Investigative Service says.

Sona Truzian told RFE/RL on July 3 that Eduard Babaian is suspected of deliberately causing grave harm to a person's health. No more details were provided.

Tsarukian is the leader of the Prosperous Armenia party and the Tsarukian parliamentary bloc.

Less than a week ago, on June 28, a court in Yerevan arrested the former head of the security service of Armenia's ex-President Serzh Sarkisian, Vachagan Ghazarian, on charges of "illegal enrichment."

The same day, the State Revenue Committee launched a probe against Sarkisian's brother Levon Sarkisian and his two children on corruption charges after law enforcement authorities discovered nearly $7 million held by them in an Armenian bank.

Serzh Sarkisian, who had been president for 10 years, moved to the newly powerful post of prime minister in mid-April but stepped down after weeks of peaceful street protests led by then-opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian.

Pashinian was voted in as prime minister of the South Caucasus country on May 8.

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