Armenia’s Minister of Emergencies Andranik Piloyan and over a dozen employees of the ministry have been arrested for alleged corruption. 

Earlier this week, Armenia’s law-enforcement bodies searched the ministry’s building. Piloyan’s detention was made public on 30 March. 

The same day, a  motion to arrest him has been submitted to the court.

According to a press release published by the Anti-Corruption Committee, an investigation into allegations concerning Piloyan and over a dozen of his subordinates revealed alleged acts of bribery, abuse of office, embezzlement, as well as receiving and granting of illegal payments․

Additionally, during the preliminary investigation, firearms and ammunition were reportedly found and confiscated from the house of the Minister’s adviser Ashot Hakobyan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the case in a government session on Thursday, commenting that ‘the situation is unpleasant, but the rule of law and equality before the law is more important’. 

‘We have publicly undertaken zero-tolerance for corruption and it is important to keep this principle’ he stressed.

Piloyan was appointed as a minister in the summer of 2020. During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war, he was awarded the title of National Hero of Armenia for his actions during the war.