The spokeswoman for the law-enforcement agency, Marina Ohanjanian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that they are accused of “concealing a crime and committing official forgery in connection with it.” She refused to reveal that crime or identify any of the arrested police officers.
“In the interests of the investigation, we are not disclosing any further details yet,” said Ohanjanian.
The historic town located 22 kilometers west of Yerevan and also known as Echmiadzin was rocked in March this year by the fatal shooting of a man at a local gas station belonging to Vagharshapat Mayor Diana Gasparian’s father-in-law. Law-enforcement authorities have since been hunting for another local resident who they believe committed the murder.
According to unconfirmed media reports, the fugitive suspect is a friend of Gasparian’s husband. Investigators searched the pro-government mayor’s home in the wake of the shooting.