Sarik Minasyan may head Shirak branch of Electric Networks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Romanos Petrosyan, the recently appointed interim manager of the Electric Networks of Armenia company, has dismissed Gagik Farzadyan, director of the Ghars branch in Shirak Province. The information was confirmed by the company, according to Sputnik Armenia.

According to ArmLur.am, Petrosyan plans to appoint Sarik Minasyan — a former MP, one-time mayoral candidate in Gyumri, and currently a city council member — as the new director of the branch.

Sources report that Minasyan has already agreed to take on the leadership role at Gyumri’s electric grid branch.

Media previously reported that Petrosyan is systematically removing all personnel associated with the company's owner, Samvel Karapetyan, primarily targeting central office leadership.

On July 3, Armenia’s National Assembly passed in the second reading a legislative package amending the laws “On the Public Services Regulatory Commission” and “On Energy,” aimed at the nationalization of the Electric Networks of Armenia.

As early as June 18 — just hours before Samvel Karapetyan, the owner of Electric Networks, was arrested — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced it was time to nationalize the company. He also warned that employees not cooperating with the state would be dismissed. On June 24, Pashinyan confirmed that the nationalization plan was ready.

On July 18, it was announced that Romanos Petrosyan, former head of the State Oversight Service, had been appointed interim manager of the company by the Public Services Regulatory Commission. That same day, the commission initiated proceedings against the company based on a government submission.