Nikol Pashinyan has turned power into a tool to punish political opponents. After confiscating the HEC owned by Samvel Karapetyan, it was transferred to the businesses of Gagik Tsarukyan.

A few days ago, the prosecutor’s office started a legal process related to the privatization of “Araratcement” and other related properties. Without trial and judgment, Nikol Pashinyan has already made his decision, announced that he will nationalize the factory.

Having not escaped from “Araratcement”, they decided to deprive “Onira Club” of the license to operate the “Shangri La” casino. It is not the first time that Nikol Pashinyan, with the same political motives, takes such a step in relation to this casino. They did it once in 2020.

After Gagik Tsarukyan expressed his disapproval of the government’s policy and announced the need for Nikol Pashinyan to leave, attacks began to gain momentum, not only on his political but also on his economic activities. The Ministry of Finance hastened to deprive the “Onira Club” owned by Gagik Tsarukyan of the license to organize a casino.

At that time, it was negotiated by not paying the state duty.

What happened next is well known. In the court process, it was proved that the decision of the Ministry of Finance on depriving the company of its license is unfounded. It is clear that it had to be like that, because its basis was entirely political.

The decision was reversed, and the consequences remained with the government.

The government had to allocate 4.2 billion drams from the state budget and taxes paid by taxpayers to pay the accumulated fines of the “Shangri La” casino owned by Gagik Tsarukyan.

Due to Nikol Pashinyan’s political ambitions, the state suffered a huge loss, but no one took responsibility for his irresponsible decision.  The state gave 4.2 billion drams from its own pocket to cover unjustified fines.

We still do not say that billions of drams from the casino’s activities did not enter the state budget as a result of the license being revoked.

Let’s remind that the company pays 5-6 billion drams annually to the state budget, providing hundreds of jobs at the same time.

These are huge losses suffered by the state and citizens, just because Nikol Pashinyan’s heart wanted it that way.

After that, again for political purposes, they decided to deprive the “Shangri La” casino of its license. Everyone understands that with this Nikol Pashinyan is trying to punish Gagik Tsarukyan for his political activities, and once again the target was his business.

If last time the license of the casino was revoked by the Ministry of Finance and because of that irresponsible decision they had to pay a fine of 4.2 billion drams at the expense of the state budget, this time they are going to do it at the hands of the State Revenue Committee. On the basis of SRC inspections and the act drawn up, the Minister of Economy signed an order to deprive the company of its license. As if by the company in 2026 There are inconsistencies between the data included in the report on financial flows submitted to the supervisory body for the month of March and the readings of the counters of the gaming machines obtained within the scope of the inspection, they contain distorted and false data.

It is not difficult to understand how it happened that all this was “revealed” just now.

Even if we consider that such violations actually occurred, are they enough to deprive the company of its license? Such inconsistencies usually happen in any company, why don’t they suspend everyone’s activities?

In this case, they did so specifically, because that is what the lowered political directive requires.

On that basis, the Minister of Economy decided to suspend the license of the company. And he announces this with such unconcealed joy, as if they opened a new factory or solved the problems related to the export of Armenian agricultural products.

How much damage will the state budget suffer due to another political decision? Before that, let’s just mention that in the first quarter, Onira Club, which operates the casino, paid almost 1.5 billion drams to the state budget.

On an annual basis, it could reach 5-6 billion drams. After revocation of the license, these funds will no longer come to the budget. Hundreds of people will also lose their jobs and wages. And all because Nikol Pashinyan decided to punish Gagik Tsarukyan for his political activity and participation in the elections.

This is revenge against the leader of the party, a big businessman and his business, the victim of which will be not only Gagik Tsarukyan, but also the country’s business environment, citizens, state budget and economy. What’s more, this is neither the first nor probably the last political reprisal of the authorities against business.

Nikol Pashinyan stops at nothing, using the levers of power to oppress, silence and remove political opponents from the arena. Another thing is that he does not always succeed.

Time will tell whether it will be successful this time in the case of Gagik Tsarukyan or not. But one thing is obvious. All this once again shows that business, even large business, is in danger in Armenia, no one is safe from the attacks and pressures of the political power, the prospect of losing their property.

HAKOB KOCHARYAN

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