The Investigative Committee of Armenia reported on the extortion of property worth 2.5 million dollars by businessman, chairman of the “Prosperous Armenia” party Gagik Tsarukyan and the former CEO of the “Multi Group” concern owned by the latter, Sedrak Arustamyan, and uncovering a particularly large-scale case of money laundering.
The Investigative Committee informs that as a result of the comprehensive and effective preliminary investigation carried out in the main department of the Committee for the investigation of crimes against the state, constitutional order and public security, it appears that factual information was obtained that G.T. got acquainted with the Lebanese-Armenian businessman G.T. In order to develop the mentioned activity, the company received state registration in 2009, where G.T. and G.T. were registered as shareholders with 50 percent shares each and S.A. was elected the general director of the company.
In parallel with that, in the middle of 2009, G.T. proposed to G.T. to establish a drinking water factory in Akunk village of Kotayk marz, agreeing to buy the land together in Akunk village, after which G.T. undertook to build the factory building, and G.T. to organize the purchase of the flow line and its transfer to Armenia.
From December 2009 to August 5, 2010 inclusive, 19 pieces of equipment needed for the operation of the water plant were sent to Armenia by the Republic of Armenia, and the packaging equipment could not be delivered within the specified time due to the inactivity of the supplier company.
After that, on August 17, 2010, S.A. and G.T. as part of a group, with the direct intention of extorting the share belonging to G.T., threatened to use violence against G.T. in the garden of G.T.’s private house in Arinj village, under the influence of which G.T. signed a bond at the notary and gave power of attorney, on the basis of which, on March 14, 2011, an authorized person H.G. and S.A. signed a “Share Sale” agreement, by which S.A. was transferred 50 percent of the share in the authorized capital of the company, G.T., in order to use violence in this way threatening to extort 2.5 million dollars in particularly large amounts.
Then, with the aim of hiding and distorting the criminal origin of the gold jewelry and the 50 percent share of the company, G.T. and SA linked its activities to the legal turnover of their affiliated companies, and the gold jewelry to their other legal income. Thus, through a legal transaction, the criminal origin and true nature of the right to the company was actually hidden and distorted, the fact that it was obtained by extortion, thereby performing particularly large-scale money laundering.
On the basis of the collected evidence, a public criminal prosecution was initiated against G.T. and S.A. in accordance with Article 182, Part 3, Clause 2 (particularly large-scale extortion) and Article 190, Part 3, Clause 1 (legalizing particularly large property acquired through criminal means, money laundering) of the Criminal Code adopted on 18.04.2003.
Bearing in mind that G.T. and S.A. are detained in another criminal proceeding under investigation by the Investigative Committee, no restraining order was applied to them.
The investigation of the criminal proceedings continues.
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