The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, which oversees the national police force, has denied claims made by the leader of the “Prosperous Armenia” party, Gagik Tsarukyan, regarding the alleged dismissal of dozens of patrol officers in Kotayk Province.

Business magnate Gagik Tsarukyan resides in the city of Abovyan, the largest city in Kotayk Province, just outside Yerevan.

During an election campaign event held in the town of Dilijan, Tavush Province, Tsarukyan—who is running for parliament—claimed that 52 patrol officers had been fired in Kotayk, allegedly because their relatives supported him politically.

In response, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Narek Sargsyan, rejected the claim, describing it as disinformation.

“The statement is disinformation and does not correspond to reality,” Sargsyan told Armenpress.