Armenia charges ex-PM with money laundering

Former Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan has been charged with money laundering on a particularly large scale, abuse of office and illegal business activities.

The statement came from the press service of Armenia’s General Prosecutor's Office, Caliber.Az reports quoting Armenian media.

According to the investigation, Abrahamyan, through trustees, participated in the management of the sand mining company Avazaatik, legitimizing through it the property obtained by criminal means.

Within the framework of the case investigated by the Anticorruption Committee, it is proved that Abrahamyan, holding various positions (Deputy, Mayor of Ararat, Governor of Ararat Region, Minister of Territorial Administration, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Presidential Administration, Speaker of the Parliament, Prime Minister) with the purpose of misappropriating G.G.'s 60 per cent share in "Avazaatik" company, in 2006-2008 through state and local bodies put obstacles for the company and took actions aiming at stopping its activity.

Hovik Abrahamyan's brother Henrik Abrahamyan instructed the acting head of the Noramarg community S.G. to terminate the land lease agreement with the company allegedly due to "misuse". The latter, fearing his dismissal, terminated the contract in 2007 and prohibited the extraction of sand. In 2008 Abrahamyan, being the head of the president's administration, demanded through G.G.'s friend K.K. to rewrite his brother Henrik Abrahamyan and the chief of police Alik Sargsyan's shareholding in the company. G.G. was forced to agree and sold 30 per cent to Abrahamyan and the remaining 30 per cent to Alik Sargsyan's brother-in-law Kh. А.

The head of the Noramarg community then renegotiated a 25-year lease on 5 hectares of land with the company through a formal tender. Between 2008 and 2015. Hovik Abrahamyan, through proxies, illegally participated in the management of the company, earning an income of 230.4 million drams. (about $590,000).

To conceal the source of income and legalise it, Abrahamyan mixed it with other proceeds and used it for various property deals. In particular, he bought more than a dozen properties in his own name and in the names of persons associated with him.

On April 17, a decision was made to launch criminal proceedings under the Articles of money laundering through abuse of official position, abuse of power and illegal entrepreneurial activity.