Armenian economy minister resigns amid corruption scandal

• 17 February, 18:40

Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan has resigned, one month after his deputy was placed under house arrest on corruption charges.

Kerobyan announced his resignation on February 14. Making a lengthy post on his Facebook page, Kerobyan thanked Prime Minister Nikol Pashniyan for appointing him in 2020 right after the country lost the war to Azerbaijan. Kerobyan said he intended to resign “many times because of disagreements” and due to the high probability of the change of the power, but decided to stay and serve his country.

“During these three-plus years, I have worked with unwavering devotion, filled with love for every citizen of Armenia,” the ministry said and went on to list the achievements made during his tenure. “Armenia's GDP per capita has risen from 112th to 86th, we have surpassed Azerbaijan, Belarus and many other countries for the first time,” he said.

While Kerobyan did not disclose the reason for his resignation in his Facebook post, it should be noted that his resignation came a month after deputy economy minister Ani Ispiryan was placed under house arrest as part of a corruption investigation within the ministry. Ispiryan was dismissed from her position a day earlier upon Prime Minister Pashinyan’s decision.
On February 15, Kerobyan was reportedly summoned by Armenia's Investigative Committee and the National Security Services. When questioned outside the Investigative Committee building on that day, Kerobyan informed RFE/RL that he had not been charged or interrogated yet.