Gagik Tsarukyan faces new charges — under two articles at once

The leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, Gagik Tsarukyan, has been charged anew — in the case of the extortion of $2.5 million and money laundering.

This was reported by the Investigative Committee, Sputnik Armenia reports.

According to the investigation, in 2008 Tsarukyan met a businessman of Armenian origin from Lebanon, G.T., after which they agreed to start a joint business. In 2009 they founded a company selling gold jewelry, in which each of them held a 50% share. Sedrak Arustamyan was appointed its director.

During the same period, the Lebanese businessman proposed to Tsarukyan that they build a drinking water production plant in the village of Akunk in the Kotayk region. According to the agreement, the businessman was to purchase the production equipment, while Tsarukyan was to build the plant's building. However, the operation was never set up.

According to the Investigative Committee, on August 17, 2010, Tsarukyan and Arustamyan, at a mansion located in Arinj, under the threat of the use of violence, demanded that the Lebanese businessman sign documents under which he transferred his shares in the companies to Arustamyan. In addition, according to the investigation, Tsarukyan and Arustamyan attempted to legalize the shares they had obtained, which the Investigative Committee qualified as money laundering on an especially large scale.

On July 6, the Investigative Committee conducted large-scale searches at Gagik Tsarukyan's home and at facilities belonging to him at more than 70 addresses. After the investigative actions were completed, all the facilities were sealed, and the businessman himself was arrested for two months.

Tsarukyan is accused of organizing fraud and the legalization (laundering) of funds on an especially large scale, of fraud and the embezzlement of $934,000, as well as of illegal hunting and causing the state damage in an amount exceeding $81,000.

The politician was stripped of the Yerevan brandy, wine and vodka factory "Ararat," the "Araratcement" plant, and the "Multi Wellness" sports complex. In total, the prosecutor's office is demanding the confiscation from Tsarukyan and persons connected with him of 75 real estate properties (52 apartments in the capital's Nor Nork administrative district, 5 apartments on Abovyan Street in the center of Yerevan, 11 apartments in the Kotayk region and other properties), the market value of 10 items of property, 42 vehicles, and shares in 38 companies.