The arrested former head of Armenia's state pension fund denies any role in large-scale fraud in the payment of various social benefits alleged by law-enforcement authorities, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Vazgen Khachikian, who managed the State Social Security Service (SSSS) until December 2010, and two of his former high-ranking subordinates were arrested in late September. They were charged with embezzling 240.7 million drams ($590,000) and are facing between 4 and 8 years in prison.
Khachikian's lawyer, Zhora Varosian, told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that his client considers himself innocent and will plead not guilty to the accusations. Varosian said he has refused to give testimony so far but is ready to answer police investigators' questions later on.
Armenian News
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