Armenia prosecutor seek criminal case against oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has submitted a request to the Central Electoral Commission seeking permission to initiate criminal proceedings against businessman and opposition politician Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, spokesperson Arevik Khachatryan has stated.

Earlier, Armenian authorities revoked the license of Onira Club, the company that operates Shangri-La, the country’s largest casino, which is owned by the family of Gagik Tsarukyan, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

The decision was announced by Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan in a post on social media.

According to the ministerial order published online, the license revocation followed irregularities identified during an inspection carried out in March.

The audit reportedly uncovered discrepancies between the company’s financial statements and the data recorded by gaming machine counters.

The findings prompted the authorities to withdraw the casino operator’s license.

Media reports noted that this is not the first time Onira Club has faced such a measure, with the company having previously been stripped of its operating license.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov