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PRIME MINISTER SARGSYAN: 'EVEN A DEAD PERSON CAN REGISTER A COMPANY IN CYPRUS'
Grisha Balasanyan
17:59, October 23, 2013
The offshore scandal that Hetq first broke several months ago continues
to haunt Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, no matter how he tries to
wriggle free.
Yesterday, during a Q&A session at the National Assembly, opposition
HAK MP Levon Zurabyan again raised the issue of Sargsyan's involvement
in an offshore company that allegedly siphoned millions of dollars
in loans.
Prime Minister Sargsyan, true to form, said that while he has already
responded to allegations of his involvement, nevertheless, he's the
most interested to get to the bottom of the matter.
Sargsyan again argued that he never authorized anyone to register his
name for an offshore company and that he never travelled to Cyprus
during the time in question.
The prime minister said that the entire story was a fabrication
intended to defame him.
"The fact remains that a company can be registered in Cyprus using
anyone's name. In fact, even dead people can go to Cyprus and register
a company. As we see, there are many ways to disparage officials,"
Sargsyan stated.
Levon Zurabyan responded that in the six months since the story broke,
nothing has been presented to refute the charges, and that keeping the
issue in the public spotlight isn't aimed at disparaging the prime
minister but an attempt to "wipe away the dirt" that has smeared
the government.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/30216/prime-minister-sargsyan-%E2%80%98even-a-dead-person-can-register-a-company-in-cyprus%E2%80%99.html
Grisha Balasanyan
17:59, October 23, 2013
The offshore scandal that Hetq first broke several months ago continues
to haunt Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, no matter how he tries to
wriggle free.
Yesterday, during a Q&A session at the National Assembly, opposition
HAK MP Levon Zurabyan again raised the issue of Sargsyan's involvement
in an offshore company that allegedly siphoned millions of dollars
in loans.
Prime Minister Sargsyan, true to form, said that while he has already
responded to allegations of his involvement, nevertheless, he's the
most interested to get to the bottom of the matter.
Sargsyan again argued that he never authorized anyone to register his
name for an offshore company and that he never travelled to Cyprus
during the time in question.
The prime minister said that the entire story was a fabrication
intended to defame him.
"The fact remains that a company can be registered in Cyprus using
anyone's name. In fact, even dead people can go to Cyprus and register
a company. As we see, there are many ways to disparage officials,"
Sargsyan stated.
Levon Zurabyan responded that in the six months since the story broke,
nothing has been presented to refute the charges, and that keeping the
issue in the public spotlight isn't aimed at disparaging the prime
minister but an attempt to "wipe away the dirt" that has smeared
the government.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/30216/prime-minister-sargsyan-%E2%80%98even-a-dead-person-can-register-a-company-in-cyprus%E2%80%99.html