Law enforcement authorities today arrested Sedrak Arustamyan, chairman of the board of directors of Gagik Tsarukyan's business empire and leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party:
Attorney Hovik Sukiasyan did not provide many details, only stating that his client is accused in the same case for which Gagik Tsarukyan was arrested a month ago. Also arrested is Arthur Dallakyan, director of Multi Transport:
Law enforcement accuses the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party of embezzling property and funds worth about $22 million from Iranian businessmen and money laundering. In today's statement, the Investigative Committee claims that former CEO of Multi Group Concern, chairman of the board Sedrak Arustamyan and Arthur Dallakyan assisted Tsarukyan:
Incidentally, months ago, the court found Arustamyan guilty in a case of bribery during the 2017 parliamentary elections, acquitting Gagik Tsarukyan, who came under the scrutiny of law enforcement after these parliamentary elections:
The 70-year-old Tsarukyan's party narrowly missed entering parliament when the CEC annulled the results of voting at two polling stations. As a result, the Civil Contract party achieved a decisive majority in parliament:
Why did the Cadastre register Multi Wellness as property of Yerevan?
After the elections, law enforcement began checks on all of Tsarukyan's companies, sealing doors from factories to restaurants. The investigation still keeps those doors closed, citing investigative actions:
The government is already managing Tsarukyan's Ararat Cement and Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka factory, appointing managers. The mayor of Yerevan also unilaterally terminated the lease agreement for the land of Multi Wellness in June, renaming it Yerevan Wellness:
Moreover, Mayor Tigran Avinyan took not only the land from Tsarukyan but also the building constructed on it and the interior property. Now Tsarukyan is trying to reclaim the property of the sports complex through the courts. This is the first lawsuit in which the wealthy businessman contests the actions of the state after the elections:
Director of Multi Wellness Arman Piroyan today did not want to disclose details, only stating that they have appealed to the court:
According to the Datalex information system, the representative of Multi Wellness is asking the court to invalidate the transaction made by the mayor of Yerevan on June 8, in which the municipality unilaterally terminated the contract with arrested businessman Gagik Tsarukyan:
Tsarukyan's lawyer is also demanding the annulment of the Cadastre's decision, which on July 14 terminated the construction rights of Multi Wellness and registered the property entirely as the property of the Yerevan community:
The case has been assigned to Judge Arshak Petrosyan, and the date of the hearing is still unknown.
