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CYPRIOT OFFICIAL RULES OUT ARMENIAN PM'S EXPLANATION REGARDING OFFSHORE COMPANY REGISTRATION
http://www.armenianow.com/news/47357/armenia_offshore_registration_tigran_sargsyan_petr os_clerides
NEWS | 02.07.13 | 09:06
Photolure
Cypriot Attorney General Petros Clerides on Monday called in question
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's assurances that he has
no ties to a Cyprus-registered company that was allegedly used for
defrauding an Armenian businessman.
In connection with the ongoing "offshore scandal" in Armenia, RFE/RL's
Armenian Service asked the Attorney General of Cyprus Petros Clerides
if a shareholder of an offshore company could be registered in Cyprus
without the shareholder's knowledge.
After the publication by Hetq.am of an article alleging that
businessman Ashot Sukiasyan cheated Hayastan department store owner
Paylak Hayrapetyan out of his money via a Cyprus-based offshore company
whose co-founders are also the Armenian prime minister and the Primate
of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Navasard
Kchoyan, Prime Minister Sragsyan denied any links to the company,
insisting that his registration as one of its shareholders was without
his knowledge. He asked the Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office to
look into the matter and establish who did that on his behalf.
In response to the question, Mr. Clerides said: "I spoke to Armenia's
Prosecutor General. He informed me about the issue... This is the
first time I hear about it. He promised to submit all the necessary
documents to me before I leave Armenia. I pledged to take immediate
steps and provide a reply."
Asked if it is possible to register anyone as a shareholder of
an offshore company without that person's permission, the Cypriot
official said: "No. But I wouldn't like to go into detail before
studying the documents."
Asked if his answer means that registration is definitely impossible
without permission, Clerides replied: "It is impossible, if, of course,
he did not act through a proxy or in a similar way."
http://www.armenianow.com/news/47357/armenia_offshore_registration_tigran_sargsyan_petr os_clerides
NEWS | 02.07.13 | 09:06
Photolure
Cypriot Attorney General Petros Clerides on Monday called in question
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's assurances that he has
no ties to a Cyprus-registered company that was allegedly used for
defrauding an Armenian businessman.
In connection with the ongoing "offshore scandal" in Armenia, RFE/RL's
Armenian Service asked the Attorney General of Cyprus Petros Clerides
if a shareholder of an offshore company could be registered in Cyprus
without the shareholder's knowledge.
After the publication by Hetq.am of an article alleging that
businessman Ashot Sukiasyan cheated Hayastan department store owner
Paylak Hayrapetyan out of his money via a Cyprus-based offshore company
whose co-founders are also the Armenian prime minister and the Primate
of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Navasard
Kchoyan, Prime Minister Sragsyan denied any links to the company,
insisting that his registration as one of its shareholders was without
his knowledge. He asked the Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office to
look into the matter and establish who did that on his behalf.
In response to the question, Mr. Clerides said: "I spoke to Armenia's
Prosecutor General. He informed me about the issue... This is the
first time I hear about it. He promised to submit all the necessary
documents to me before I leave Armenia. I pledged to take immediate
steps and provide a reply."
Asked if it is possible to register anyone as a shareholder of
an offshore company without that person's permission, the Cypriot
official said: "No. But I wouldn't like to go into detail before
studying the documents."
Asked if his answer means that registration is definitely impossible
without permission, Clerides replied: "It is impossible, if, of course,
he did not act through a proxy or in a similar way."