Court puts ex-Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan under house arrest

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. Armenian Anti-Corruption Court chose a 2-month house arrest for ex-Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan.
Kerobyan was detained on Thursday by law-enforcers as part of an ongoing corruption investigation. The ex-minister said he will appeal the court's decision. Kerobyan also noted that he doesn't see political persecution in the corruption charges brought against him.
The Armenian Investigative Committee reported earlier that eight people, including five officials of Armenia’s Ministry of Economy, are accused of apparent abuses committed during a tender announced for the purchase of services for the needs of the ministry.
The officials allegedly created conditions for illegally disqualifying a private company from the tender announced for the establishment of a bank of state investment projects so that it would be won by another bidder that offered 392 million drams (about $1 million), three times the price offered by the disqualified competitor. -0-