Sister-in-Law of Alen Simonyan Arrested in Connection with Corruption Scandal at Armenia's Ministry of Economy

The Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia has ordered the two-month detention of Ani Gevorgyan, wife of Karlen Simonyan, the brother of National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan. This arrest is part of a broader case investigating corruption within the Ministry of Economy of Armenia, where six individuals and one official were taken into custody just a day earlier.

The arrests are linked to alleged corruption within the Ministry of Economy, with Ani Gevorgyan detained in connection with the same case that involves current and former officials of the ministry. The charges are related to manipulation in a competition titled "Establishment of the Bank of Public Investment Projects."

A petition for Ani Gevorgyan's arrest was submitted alongside those for seven other individuals, including former Deputy Minister of Economy Ani Ispiryan and Head of State Investment Policy Department Lilia Sirakanyan.

The investigation revealed that officials within the Ministry of Economy favored a particular participant, creating obstacles for other participants and effectively eliminating them. The company submitting an offer exceeding 392 million drams was declared the winner as a result of these manipulations.

Ani Gevorgyan, the former program manager of Synergy, and another employee from the company are among those detained. The former head of programs at Synergy is the wife of Karlen Simonyan, brother to the National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan.