Lawyer: What`s happening around Tsarukyan`s companies is  unprecedented display of permissiveness

ArmInfo. What's happening around the companies of Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan is an unprecedented display of permissiveness. This was stated by lawyer and New Era Party leader Harutyun Harutyunyan in an interview with journalists outside the Investigative Department of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, where Tsarukyan is undergoing his latest interrogation.

Recalling that he is one of the businessman's lawyers in the case of  the recovery of illegally acquired property, Harutyunyan noted that  he has never encountered such a situation before. "All companies are  sealed off; no one can access them. Meanwhile, equipment belonging to  individuals completely unrelated to this process is also located on  their premises. However, due to what's happening, they can't retrieve  their personal property," the lawyer stated.

He expressed his belief that this will have a negative impact on the  investment environment. "This is the most negative and unprecedented  manifestation of permissiveness. We couldn't even imagine such a  thing possible in Armenia. The Republic of Armenia will have to  assume responsibility for the consequences of these processes. As a  result of these actions, companies have been deprived of the  opportunity to carry out their normal operations. But I don't think  this issue is of concern to the current government or the law  enforcement system," the lawyer noted.

Harutyunyan also stated that since he was elected as a member of  parliament from the "Strong Armenia" bloc, he will cease his legal  practice, including in this case, as of August 2. "But I am confident  that the other lawyers involved in the case will consistently defend  violated rights within the law. Otherwise, failure to act would  effectively legitimize this process," the lawyer noted.

Commenting on the removal of lawyer Erem Sargsyan from the Tsarukyan  case, Harutyunyan noted that the businessman's defense representative  had been present at the interrogation the day before, but suddenly,  the following day, it became known that his continued participation  was impossible. Therefore, he expressed his conviction that his  removal is nothing more than another instance of legal arbitrariness.  "I don't have any further details about the case, but I believe  Sargsyan has been removed from the entire criminal case, not just the  specific episode in which he was granted witness status. This case  raises serious concerns, as it appears that in any case, the lawyer  chosen by the client to defend their rights may be subject to an  attempt to remove them from the proceedings. Thus, the client is  being deprived of the opportunity to defend their rights through a  lawyer of their own choosing, which is a manifestation of legal  absurdity and lawlessness," Harutyunyan concluded.

As a reminder, on July 6, Prosperous Armenia Party leader and  businessman Gagik Tsarukyan was detained and taken to the  Investigative Committee of Armenia. He is accused of organizing fraud  and money laundering on an especially large scale. According to  investigators, between 2022 and 2024, a group operating under his  leadership, under the pretext of developing trade and economic ties  between Armenia and Iran, created joint legal entities with Iranian  citizens, after which they carried out a fraudulent scheme, causing  damages of over $21 million. Furthermore, Gagik Tsarukyan faces  another charge of illegal hunting. On July 7, the court granted the  prosecution's motion to remand Tsarukyan in custody for two months.  As part of the case, on July 6, law enforcement agencies conducted  searches at more than 70 addresses associated with Tsarukyan. The  doors of all businesses were subsequently sealed.

On July 16, the Prosecutor General's Office announced that the  Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia had upheld their claim to transfer  Tsarukyan's Arat cement plant to state control. The nationalization  process for Tsarukyan's plant began after Armenian Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan threatened to nationalize Gagik Tsarukyan's business  during the May 20 election campaign in the Lori region. On July 16,  it was also announced that the Multi Wellness building, owned by  Gagik Tsarukyan, had been transferred to the Yerevan Municipality.  And on July 23, law enforcement officers sealed off some of the  pavilions of the Arinj Mall shopping center, owned by Tsarukyan.