In response to inquiries received by representatives of the mass media, the RA General Prosecutor’s Office informs that the Prosecutor’s Office, within the framework of the authority to protect state (community) interests, studied the process of privatization of Araratcement company, which was expropriated by the decision of the RA Government No. 1465-A of September 12, 2002.
In connection with the facts containing features of an apparent crime obtained through the study, the prosecutor submitted a report on the crime to the Anti-Corruption Committee on May 5, 2026.
Based on the report, on May 7, 2026, criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 441, Part 2, Clause 5 of the Criminal Code (abuse of official or official powers or the influence caused by them, or the transfer of powers, which negligently caused other serious consequences) (section 2) and Article 296, Part 3, Clause 3 (especially in large amounts) money laundering) features.
In the basis of the report, among other detected violations, a number of circumstances related to the privatization process were included, namely:
According to the decision of the RA Government No. 690 of July 31, 2001, a tender commission was formed in order to privatize the state-owned shares of Araratcement company through a tender.
A purchase offer was submitted by the Swiss “Holcim LTD” and the English “SK.Ajikawo Group”.
In the competition held on September 26, 2001, the Swiss organization “Holcim LTD” was recognized as the winner, but on October 22, 2001, the latter informed the Minister of State Property Management in a letter that the board of directors of the organization rejected the investment program without reasons.
1465-A of the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated September 12, 2002, 317,003 state-owned shares of Araratcement Company, each with a nominal value of 10,000 drams, were privatized by direct sale to the Belgian organization “Roberto”. By point 2 of the same decision, the price of privatized shares was set at 200,000 USD.
However, the founders of the “Roberto” company were RA citizens Azat, Robert and Roman Muradyan, each of whom had a share of 250,000 Belgian francs (at that time, the euro was not yet in use). That is, the total capital of the company was 750,000 francs (equal to 18,592 euros).
Vahagn Guloyan, who is the younger brother of ex-MP Gagik Tsarukyan’s brother-in-law, ex-MP Murad Guloyan, uncle of Tsarukyan’s son-in-law, ex-governor of Kotayk, Karapet Guloyan, was appointed manager of “Roberto” company.
On March 23, 2003, 6 months after the RA Government’s decision to privatize Araratcement Company, the meeting of Roberto Company decided to appoint Gagik Tsarukyan as the sole manager of the company, without term limits.
On June 26, 2003, the Brussels court announced the liquidation process of the “Roberto” company, which ended 5 years later, on December 18, 2008.
Parallel to the examination of the proceedings, the Prosecutor’s Office continued to carry out its functions arising from the authority to protect state interests, including: on May 5, 2026, it addressed a letter to the Government of the Republic of Armenia, proposing to discuss the existing violations in the company and to implement proper administration in order to eliminate their consequences, including, for example, the expediency of appointing a temporary manager in the company.
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