Tsarukyan questioned for hours, faces new criminal case

PanARMENIAN.Net - Investigative actions involving Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan continued for more than 11 hours. Speaking to reporters, Tsarukyan’s lawyer Emin Khachatryan said two confrontations took place with two brothers who are Iranian citizens. According to the lawyer, the confrontations were conducted hastily and accompanied by restrictions on the right to defense, Factor.am reports.

The lawyer also said a new public criminal prosecution had been initiated against Tsarukyan in a case involving the Ararat Brandy, Wine and Vodka Plant. The prosecution was launched under Article 290 of the Criminal Code on tax evasion, which Khachatryan described as “absurd.”

“Everyone already knows that Mr. Tsarukyan, since 2003, when he was elected a member of parliament, placed all his businesses under management and could not have had any involvement whatsoever in managing those businesses... Mr. Tsarukyan also gave his assessment, and we also regard this as political pressure and political persecution, because it cannot be the case that proceedings initiated at different times suddenly become active in a single day or that new cases are launched,” he said.

It was earlier reported that Arman Davtyan, director of the Yerevan Ararat Brandy, Wine and Vodka Plant, had been arrested for the purpose of bringing him before a court on charges of failing to pay taxes on an especially large scale.

Since early morning on July 6, employees of the National Security Service, State Revenue Committee and Interior Ministry police have conducted simultaneous searches at more than 70 addresses, including Tsarukyan’s mansion and companies belonging to him. Tsarukyan was arrested. Since early morning on July 7, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Avan and Nor Nork administrative districts has considered the issue of Tsarukyan’s preventive measure. By the end of the day, it became known that he had been remanded in custody for two months.