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TYCOON SAYS WAS ASKED TO BACK TER-PETROSIAN
Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - Businessman Ruben Hayrapetian at a news conference, 23 Sep 2011.
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24338039.html
23.09.2011
A controversial millionaire businessman staunchly supporting
President Serzh Sarkisian claimed on Friday that opposition leader
Levon Ter-Petrosian repeatedly tried to co-opt him ahead of Armenia's
2008 presidential election.
Ruben Hayrapetian, who also holds a parliament seat and runs the
Armenian Football Federation, said this is the reason why is frequently
attacked by media outlets sympathetic to Ter-Petrosian.
"He [Ter-Petrosian] asked me for three times," Hayrapetian told a
news conference.
"He last did that in January 2008," he said. "He asked me through
an envoy to betray [Serzh Sarkisian.] But I'm not the kind of person
who betrays."
"Serzh Sarkisian saved me from Levon Ter-Petrosian's claws in 1996.
How could I betray that person?" he added.
Hayrapetian alleged that Ter-Petrosian personally visited him for that
purpose at a luxury resort owned by the tycoon in August 2007. The
ex-president officially announced his decision to contest the February
2008 election two months later.
There was no immediate reaction to the allegations from Ter-Petrosian
and his Armenian National Congress (HAK) alliance.
Ter-Petrosian, who served as Armenia's first president from 1991-1998,
tried to win over to the government-linked "oligarchs" shortly
after announcing his political comeback. In a December 2007 speech,
he described them as government "slaves" and said they will run the
constant risk of losing their assets as long as the ruling regime
remains in power.
"If you continue to dishonorably serve the current authorities,
they will be able to destroy you one by one at any moment. But if you
jointly oppose them, they won't last even for one day," Ter-Petrosian
said at the time.
Hayrapetian, who holds sway in Yerevan's northern Avan district, lent
full support to Sarkisian in the disputed election. He was accused
by the Ter-Petrosian campaign of organizing vote falsifications there
and ordering his bodyguards to kidnap and beat up several opposition
proxies on election day.
The tough-talking tycoon has since continued to face opposition media
allegations of violent conduct. He came under fresh fire late last year
after suing, together with two other government-linked businessmen,
the opposition daily "Haykakan Zhamanak."
The libel suit stemmed from a newspaper article saying that
Russian authorities suspect the three oligarchs of involvement
in drug trafficking, money laundering and other grave crimes
committed in Russia. Earlier this year, a Yerevan court ordered
the pro-Ter-Petrosian paper to pay the plaintiffs 6 million drams
($16,200) in damages.
Hayrapetian on Friday again angrily denied the allegations. He was
particularly incensed by the drug trafficking charge.
"Ask people in Avan what I do to drug dealers," he told journalists.
"You don't know what I would do to them? I would punish, beat up them."
"Why are you surprised? You should be surprised when I say that I
play the violin."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - Businessman Ruben Hayrapetian at a news conference, 23 Sep 2011.
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24338039.html
23.09.2011
A controversial millionaire businessman staunchly supporting
President Serzh Sarkisian claimed on Friday that opposition leader
Levon Ter-Petrosian repeatedly tried to co-opt him ahead of Armenia's
2008 presidential election.
Ruben Hayrapetian, who also holds a parliament seat and runs the
Armenian Football Federation, said this is the reason why is frequently
attacked by media outlets sympathetic to Ter-Petrosian.
"He [Ter-Petrosian] asked me for three times," Hayrapetian told a
news conference.
"He last did that in January 2008," he said. "He asked me through
an envoy to betray [Serzh Sarkisian.] But I'm not the kind of person
who betrays."
"Serzh Sarkisian saved me from Levon Ter-Petrosian's claws in 1996.
How could I betray that person?" he added.
Hayrapetian alleged that Ter-Petrosian personally visited him for that
purpose at a luxury resort owned by the tycoon in August 2007. The
ex-president officially announced his decision to contest the February
2008 election two months later.
There was no immediate reaction to the allegations from Ter-Petrosian
and his Armenian National Congress (HAK) alliance.
Ter-Petrosian, who served as Armenia's first president from 1991-1998,
tried to win over to the government-linked "oligarchs" shortly
after announcing his political comeback. In a December 2007 speech,
he described them as government "slaves" and said they will run the
constant risk of losing their assets as long as the ruling regime
remains in power.
"If you continue to dishonorably serve the current authorities,
they will be able to destroy you one by one at any moment. But if you
jointly oppose them, they won't last even for one day," Ter-Petrosian
said at the time.
Hayrapetian, who holds sway in Yerevan's northern Avan district, lent
full support to Sarkisian in the disputed election. He was accused
by the Ter-Petrosian campaign of organizing vote falsifications there
and ordering his bodyguards to kidnap and beat up several opposition
proxies on election day.
The tough-talking tycoon has since continued to face opposition media
allegations of violent conduct. He came under fresh fire late last year
after suing, together with two other government-linked businessmen,
the opposition daily "Haykakan Zhamanak."
The libel suit stemmed from a newspaper article saying that
Russian authorities suspect the three oligarchs of involvement
in drug trafficking, money laundering and other grave crimes
committed in Russia. Earlier this year, a Yerevan court ordered
the pro-Ter-Petrosian paper to pay the plaintiffs 6 million drams
($16,200) in damages.
Hayrapetian on Friday again angrily denied the allegations. He was
particularly incensed by the drug trafficking charge.
"Ask people in Avan what I do to drug dealers," he told journalists.
"You don't know what I would do to them? I would punish, beat up them."
"Why are you surprised? You should be surprised when I say that I
play the violin."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress