Armenian State Revenue Committee head comments on Golden Palace Hotel handover to government

ARKA, Armenia
Dec 6 2018

YEREVAN, December 6. /ARKA/. Narek Babayan, the head of the Armenian State Revenue Committee, told journalists on Thursday at which stage the process of handover of Golden Palace Hotel to the government is.  

On November 28, Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armen Avetisyan, a former head of the Armenian Customs Committee, is providing the hotel owned by him to the government as gift. 

Earlier, the National Security Service opened a criminal case against Avetisyan suspecting him of illegal engagement in entrepreneurship and of gross money laundering.  

”First, it is necessary that law enforcement agencies react properly to that, and after that the government will instruct to launch the process,” Narek Babayan said. “Particularly over Golden Palace, we are specifying procedures, an appropriate draft decision will be submitted to the government, and appropriate procedures will be launched after a positive conclusion on accepting the gift.”

Babayan said that investigators’ conclusions are very important either on the Avetisyan case and MP Manvel Grigoryan’s case to confirm the illegality of the purchase of these properties.  

Early, Sasun Khachatryan, the head of the Special Investigation Committee, said that 40 units of immovable property owned by Grigoryan will be provided to 40 communities. 

”On the other side, the government itself makes this political decision, taking into account the law enforcement agency’s conclusion,” Babayan said. “We are waiting now the final instruction, but along with that, we are working out other versions.” –0—