CRIMINAL CASE OPENED AGAINST FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER AND FORMER DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER OF ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
May 07 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. While in Moscow on April 24-26, initiators
of the Civil Disobedience Movement – former Armenian foreign minister
Alexander Arzumanian and former Armenian deputy defence minister Vahan
Shirkhanian came to an agreement with Russian citizen Levon Grigor
Markos to organize transfer money of dubious origin to Armenia and
legalize it there. Panorama.am was informed about it by the press
service of the National Security Service (NSS).
Since 2005, L. Markos has been wanted by the police under the
criminal case No 62205103 opened by the RA Prosecutor Generals’
Office for embezzlement.
According to the NSS press service, "on April 27, 180 thousand US
dollars was transferred part by part from Moscow to Yerevan’s Converse
Bank – under the name of dummies, but actually the money was meant
for themsevles." On May 5 the apartments of the above mentioned
persons were searched, as a resuly of which large sums of foreign
currency were found. During the questioning, A. Arzumanian refused
to say anything about the origin and use of 55.4 thousand dollars
confisacted after a search in his apartment.
In connection with the fact, a criminal case was opened in accordance
with Article 190, Part 3 of the RA Criminal Code. The investigation
department of the RA NSS is conducting an investigation into the case.