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Former Armenian Minister Arrested on Fraud Charges
Armenia's former industry minister Ashot Safaryan was arrested on Monday and is now being investigated by Armenia's prosecutor general's office, the interior ministry's spokesman told AFP.
Safaryan, who headed the industry ministry from 1991-1997, is charged with abusing his authority to the detriment of the former Soviet republic's energy industry, sources told AFP.
Last year, some 25 officials were arrested on charges of fraud and theft of state property in the energy industry, according to Armenia's prosecutor general.
An investigation launched by Armenian lawmakers revealed that Armenia lost some 200 million dollars due to various violations and abuses committed by state officials in 1992-1995.
However, the prosecutor general's spokesman refused to confirm those numbers, adding that the parliamentary commission did not provide sufficient evidence to support their calculations.
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