Ocampo, Borrell and Armenian oligarchs: Scenario to overthrow Pashinyan set in motion - comment

New revealing and sensational footage has been circulating involving Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who has become known for fraud, corruption and support for separatism, as well as his son. Video footage obtained by Minval.az shows that they involved former members of the European Parliament (EP), whose names have been linked to corruption, in interference in Armenia's parliamentary elections scheduled for June. The aim is to prevent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's victory.

The footage confirms that Ocampo, former member of the European Parliament Josep Borrell and others are at the center of a scenario to change power in Armenia with Russia's involvement, including the overthrow of Nikol Pashinyan personally. The anti-Pashinyan network has also created an entire system to secure his defeat. Let us focus on some points from the video.

"If I had a company dealing with such matters, we could do it at cost. For example, there is a very capable person on my team now who was previously a member of the European Parliament. He was a legal adviser…" Ocampo says.

The interlocutor clarifies: "Borrell?"

Ocampo replies without hesitation: "Yes, that same Borrell. This person now works for me in the European Parliament. I can speak there, raise questions, direct them and put pressure on Commissioner von der Leyen, thereby shaping European policy."

Among the sources of funding for the campaign are Armenian oligarchs living in Russia, including Samvel Karapetyan, the currently imprisoned Ruben Vardanyan and others.

Particularly noteworthy in the video is Ocampo's son openly discussing Armenia's political situation and plans to overthrow the prime minister. It appears that Ocampo, Borrell and others were at the center of a scenario to change power in Armenia, including the overthrow of Nikol Pashinyan, as part of a campaign conducted in Europe and the European Parliament with Russia's involvement. The footage proves that EU institutions are serving the Armenian lobby, Armenia's pro-Russian opposition and Russia directly.

As for Ocampo, his name has repeatedly been mentioned in connection with serious financial fraud, offshore scandals and political bias. In particular, the campaigns he has conducted against Azerbaijan have called his professional reputation and impartiality seriously into question. For example, more than 40,000 documents leaked by European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) in 2017 exposed Ocampo's secret financial activities. Investigations show that, during the years when Ocampo served as ICC chief prosecutor, he owned secret companies such as Yemana Trading and Tain Bay in tax havens including Panama and the British Virgin Islands. Although he admitted using these companies to avoid paying taxes and conceal financial transactions, he tried to explain this as "economic security."

Ocampo's activities after leaving office are also described as "professional fraud." He signed a $3 million consulting contract with Libyan billionaire Hassan Tatanaki, who had links to individuals suspected by the ICC of war crimes. According to allegations, Ocampo promised to use his influence and sources inside the court to protect Tatanaki from legal prosecution. Offshore scandals and his manipulation of international law for personal gain deprive all his claims of legitimacy.

The fact that the names of Borrell and other former MEPs are mentioned in this issue is also no coincidence. The EP and its members have long acquired an image of a corruption-tainted institution and individuals, while representatives of a number of countries there have become toys in the hands of Armenian billionaires operating in Western countries. Both senior officials of the European Parliament and a number of its members have repeatedly been accused of bribery. For example, in 2022, Greek MEP and European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili was arrested by police. Belgian federal investigators accused those detained, including Kaili, of influencing decisions adopted in the EP in favor of Qatar and engaging in illegal lobbying by receiving large sums of money and various expensive gifts as bribes.

The next scandal involving MEPs who had made bribery a habit was related to the "Russiagate" case. Ironically, members of parliament were bribed through the Voice of Europe website to expand Russian propaganda. In connection with this, Belgian police searched a parliamentary office. During the searches, Belgian law enforcement agencies found signs that European Parliament staff had played a leading role in the case.

In addition, corruption issues in the European Parliament have come to the agenda in recent years through several major scandals and investigations. The main events and facts are as follows:

The "Qatargate" scandal of 2022 is one of the largest corruption scandals in the European Parliament. According to reports, about 163 of roughly 704 MEPs were accused of, or investigated over, various forms of corruption, nepotism or financial violations.

In early 2025, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) began investigating several MEPs on charges of misusing assistants' salaries and funds. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has complained about restrictions on its digital and physical access to conduct investigations inside the parliament.

Corruption allegations against former EU chief diplomat Borrell have also come to the agenda both as part of official investigations and disinformation campaigns. Reports have repeatedly circulated claiming that he has offshore accounts worth millions of dollars.

Thus, the disclosed facts and video material will undoubtedly be discussed by politicians and experts for a long time. One can hope that, perhaps after this footage, the European Parliament and its various structures will issue some kind of apology or clarify the matter. Otherwise, this will be another serious blow to the transparency image of European institutions.