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DIAMOND SCAM IN ARMENIA
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 5 2014
5 February 2014 - 12:51pm
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The diamond scam involving Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and the head
of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop
Navasard Kchoyan, has taken a new turn. According to official data,
the other day, as a result of cooperation between the Armenian and
Georgian police, the Armenian businessman Ashot Sukiasyan was arrested
in Tbilisi, accused of fraud, causing property damage and legalization
of income on a large scale.
Mr Sukiasyan was indicted based on a complaint from Mr Pailaka
Hayrapetyan, owner of the Yerevan supermarket "Ayastan". Back in 2010
Mr Sukiasyan (with the active mediation of Tigran Sargsyan, Minister
of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan and Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan) received
a loan of 10.7 million dollars from "Ameriabank" for the project of
importing rough diamonds from Sierra Leone. The loan was given for the
pledge of Pailaka Hayrapetyan's property, which was worth 33 million
dollars in total. Then Mr Sukiasyan, who had debts in the millions of
dollars, not only in Armenia, but also in Russia and even in Africa,
even before the deal, took his family and set off on the run. Dark gray
diamond and gold operations in Armenia are always carried out under
a powerful corrupt cover. And the speculator Suliasyan was assisted
in this transaction by the founders of the Cyprus offshore company
WLISPERA HOLDINGS LIMITED, the Prime Minister and the Archbishop. As a
result of their multi-move combination, Pailaka Hayrapetyan's property
ended up in the Cyprus company with VIP-founders.
Both Mr Kchoyan and the Prime Minister repeatedly stated that
neither Cyprus nor any other offshore entity registered any company
or conferred on anyone the authority to register an organization on
their behalf. Apologizing to the parliament, Mr Sarkisian said that
the specifics of offshore entities allows any person to register a
company using any name. In response, Petros Clerides, Attorney General
of Cyprus, said that no one can be registered as a shareholder of an
offshore company in Cyprus without his permission.
In early January, the Administrative Court rejected the claim
submitted by Ayrapetyan against the Central Bank and the Ministry
of Finance and the Economy. The businessman considers them to be the
main culprits of his bankruptcy, particularly ex-Minister of Economy
Nerses Yeritsyan. However, the court reasoned the decision to be
"a baseless claim." Commenting on the rejection of the claim even
without consideration, Mr Ayrapetyan said that the court could not
consider it, given the ranks of people standing behind this fraud.
Thus, in addition to information burst about the offshore scandal,
there was no substantial reaction from either the Attorney General or
the investigating authorities, or of the police or of the presidential
administration. But today, when the main person involved in direct
criminal action, Sukiasyan, has been found, a reaction should still
follow. The question boils down to whether Sukiasyan will be sent
to court alone or together with the Prime Minister. Given Kchoyan's
ecclesiastical capacity, the Attorney General's office is likely to
do anything to get him off the dubious case. As for Sarkisian, it
all depends on the current political situation and clans' internal
showdowns. The recent public showdown between Sarkisyan and Robert
Kocharyan shows that the latter would like to show the prime minister
his place. Will the current president agree to such a scenario, and
will he make any effort to help the Attorney General's Office in its
"search for justice"? Otherwise, Sarkisian will "still be needed by
the country" for another series of "reforms" aimed at pumping money
from the pockets of citizens. Then Sukiasyan will have to "confess
to the crime alone," and do a year or two in jail as a scapegoat.The
authorities will not allow a more serious and just punishment for
"their scoundrel".
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/economy/50873.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 5 2014
5 February 2014 - 12:51pm
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The diamond scam involving Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and the head
of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop
Navasard Kchoyan, has taken a new turn. According to official data,
the other day, as a result of cooperation between the Armenian and
Georgian police, the Armenian businessman Ashot Sukiasyan was arrested
in Tbilisi, accused of fraud, causing property damage and legalization
of income on a large scale.
Mr Sukiasyan was indicted based on a complaint from Mr Pailaka
Hayrapetyan, owner of the Yerevan supermarket "Ayastan". Back in 2010
Mr Sukiasyan (with the active mediation of Tigran Sargsyan, Minister
of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan and Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan) received
a loan of 10.7 million dollars from "Ameriabank" for the project of
importing rough diamonds from Sierra Leone. The loan was given for the
pledge of Pailaka Hayrapetyan's property, which was worth 33 million
dollars in total. Then Mr Sukiasyan, who had debts in the millions of
dollars, not only in Armenia, but also in Russia and even in Africa,
even before the deal, took his family and set off on the run. Dark gray
diamond and gold operations in Armenia are always carried out under
a powerful corrupt cover. And the speculator Suliasyan was assisted
in this transaction by the founders of the Cyprus offshore company
WLISPERA HOLDINGS LIMITED, the Prime Minister and the Archbishop. As a
result of their multi-move combination, Pailaka Hayrapetyan's property
ended up in the Cyprus company with VIP-founders.
Both Mr Kchoyan and the Prime Minister repeatedly stated that
neither Cyprus nor any other offshore entity registered any company
or conferred on anyone the authority to register an organization on
their behalf. Apologizing to the parliament, Mr Sarkisian said that
the specifics of offshore entities allows any person to register a
company using any name. In response, Petros Clerides, Attorney General
of Cyprus, said that no one can be registered as a shareholder of an
offshore company in Cyprus without his permission.
In early January, the Administrative Court rejected the claim
submitted by Ayrapetyan against the Central Bank and the Ministry
of Finance and the Economy. The businessman considers them to be the
main culprits of his bankruptcy, particularly ex-Minister of Economy
Nerses Yeritsyan. However, the court reasoned the decision to be
"a baseless claim." Commenting on the rejection of the claim even
without consideration, Mr Ayrapetyan said that the court could not
consider it, given the ranks of people standing behind this fraud.
Thus, in addition to information burst about the offshore scandal,
there was no substantial reaction from either the Attorney General or
the investigating authorities, or of the police or of the presidential
administration. But today, when the main person involved in direct
criminal action, Sukiasyan, has been found, a reaction should still
follow. The question boils down to whether Sukiasyan will be sent
to court alone or together with the Prime Minister. Given Kchoyan's
ecclesiastical capacity, the Attorney General's office is likely to
do anything to get him off the dubious case. As for Sarkisian, it
all depends on the current political situation and clans' internal
showdowns. The recent public showdown between Sarkisyan and Robert
Kocharyan shows that the latter would like to show the prime minister
his place. Will the current president agree to such a scenario, and
will he make any effort to help the Attorney General's Office in its
"search for justice"? Otherwise, Sarkisian will "still be needed by
the country" for another series of "reforms" aimed at pumping money
from the pockets of citizens. Then Sukiasyan will have to "confess
to the crime alone," and do a year or two in jail as a scapegoat.The
authorities will not allow a more serious and just punishment for
"their scoundrel".
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/economy/50873.html