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OLIGARCHS HIDING MORE ASSETS IN ELECTION RUN-UP?
Grisha Balasanyan
hetq
11:00, September 29, 2011
In the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary elections, MP's in Armenia
with something to hide are trying their best to avoid reporters armed
with official documents that can expose their Achilles heels.
One very potent weapon in our arsenal is the annual financial
statements these MP's must submit for public perusal. Naturally, we
are not naive enough to take what these MP's disclose at face value
for they surely must be hiding a good portion of their wealth. But
they are a start.
On July 21, we sent a five point questionnaire to Parliament President
Hovik Abrahamyan. To simply things, we also forwarded him a list of
businesses and assets he is rumoured to own - for example some 53
hectares of agricultural zoned land in the community of Mkhchyan and
tens of properties scattered throughout Yerevan.
There are these properties as well - 1,500 hectares of vineyards
in Artashat, 10 natural gas stations outside of Yerevan, 1/3 of
the shares in the AraratCement plant, casinos and gasoline filling
stations throughout the country on main roads outside Yerevan proper.
There is also a vacation resort in the Crimea purchased in 2007 at
a cost of $7 million. The list goes on...
Two months later, the National Assembly wrote back that a portion
of the businesses and assets had no connection to Abrahamyan. As to
what portion did belong to the parliament president, we were advised
to review his financial disclosure.
I should point out that reporters are only given a bulletin based
on the full financial disclosure. This does not fully reflect the
person's financial transactions for the entire year. Neither does it
include specific information regarding his or her assets.
We brought this to the attention of the parliament speaker and sent
him the 2009 disclosure he filled out.
Hovik Abrahamyan stood fast and never answered our questionnaire.
In any event, it's also known that Abrahamyan owns the operating
licenses for several mines. In 2010, a license was granted to Paramount
Gold Mining, a company he owns. A license for exploratory purposes
at the copper and molybdenum mines in Yelpin village was granted to
him under the name of Argamik Ltd.
Despite these acquisitions, Abrahmyan disclosed less on his 2010
statements than his 2009 disclosures.
In 2009, Abrahamyan reported 29,499,760 AMD while in 2010 he reported
25,515,220 AMD. Maybe the 4 million decrease was due to unfavourable
weather for crop growing in 2009? You decide.
There are some 90 hectares of agricultural land registered in his
wife's name alone in the village of Narek in Armavir Marz.
MP Samvel Aleksanyan has experienced a huge drop in revenues.
In 2009, he reported 439.5 million and only 10.5 million in 2010.
Despite calling himself 'bankrupt', Aleksanyan recently purchased
the famous Pak Shuga (Enclosed Market) on Mashtots Avenue.
He too has not concealed his intention to run for re-election next
year.
Grisha Balasanyan
hetq
11:00, September 29, 2011
In the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary elections, MP's in Armenia
with something to hide are trying their best to avoid reporters armed
with official documents that can expose their Achilles heels.
One very potent weapon in our arsenal is the annual financial
statements these MP's must submit for public perusal. Naturally, we
are not naive enough to take what these MP's disclose at face value
for they surely must be hiding a good portion of their wealth. But
they are a start.
On July 21, we sent a five point questionnaire to Parliament President
Hovik Abrahamyan. To simply things, we also forwarded him a list of
businesses and assets he is rumoured to own - for example some 53
hectares of agricultural zoned land in the community of Mkhchyan and
tens of properties scattered throughout Yerevan.
There are these properties as well - 1,500 hectares of vineyards
in Artashat, 10 natural gas stations outside of Yerevan, 1/3 of
the shares in the AraratCement plant, casinos and gasoline filling
stations throughout the country on main roads outside Yerevan proper.
There is also a vacation resort in the Crimea purchased in 2007 at
a cost of $7 million. The list goes on...
Two months later, the National Assembly wrote back that a portion
of the businesses and assets had no connection to Abrahamyan. As to
what portion did belong to the parliament president, we were advised
to review his financial disclosure.
I should point out that reporters are only given a bulletin based
on the full financial disclosure. This does not fully reflect the
person's financial transactions for the entire year. Neither does it
include specific information regarding his or her assets.
We brought this to the attention of the parliament speaker and sent
him the 2009 disclosure he filled out.
Hovik Abrahamyan stood fast and never answered our questionnaire.
In any event, it's also known that Abrahamyan owns the operating
licenses for several mines. In 2010, a license was granted to Paramount
Gold Mining, a company he owns. A license for exploratory purposes
at the copper and molybdenum mines in Yelpin village was granted to
him under the name of Argamik Ltd.
Despite these acquisitions, Abrahmyan disclosed less on his 2010
statements than his 2009 disclosures.
In 2009, Abrahamyan reported 29,499,760 AMD while in 2010 he reported
25,515,220 AMD. Maybe the 4 million decrease was due to unfavourable
weather for crop growing in 2009? You decide.
There are some 90 hectares of agricultural land registered in his
wife's name alone in the village of Narek in Armavir Marz.
MP Samvel Aleksanyan has experienced a huge drop in revenues.
In 2009, he reported 439.5 million and only 10.5 million in 2010.
Despite calling himself 'bankrupt', Aleksanyan recently purchased
the famous Pak Shuga (Enclosed Market) on Mashtots Avenue.
He too has not concealed his intention to run for re-election next
year.