REALTIVES OF “MISSING” FORMER METAL PRINCE DIRECTOR REGARD DER-BOGHOSSIAN AS A SUSPECT
Larisa Paremuzyan
hetq
11:09, November 14, 2011
Serop Der-Boghossian, American-Armenian businessman and owner of
Metal Prince Ltd now facing paedophilia charges, is regarded by some
as a suspect in the disappearance of former Metal Price LTD Executive
Director Gagik Azatyan.
Azatyan went missing on May 25, 2009 after leaving his house. The
case is being investigated by the National Security Service.
Immediately after Azatyan went missing, his relatives told
investigators that they believed Der-Boghossian was involved.
Azatyan’s uncle, Martun Azatyan, says that investigators told them they
shouldn’t say such things about Der-Boghossian whom law enforcement
deemed a “good man”.
Martun Azatyan also told him that if he had information regarding
the disappearance he should come forward and not be afraid since
Der-Boghossian was in an untenable position and that he wouldn’t be
harming anyone.
Gagik Azatyan served as the executive Director of the Akhtala
Enrichment Combine from 1992-2002. His working relationship with
Der-Boghossian began on March 1, 2001 when Metal Prince and the
Armenian government agreed to jointly run the Akhtala Combine, then
under government jurisdiction.
That first year, Metal Prince invested $1 million to restart the
factory and Martun Azatyan was the engineer in charge.
After 7 months of work, the factory reopened.
Martun Azatyan says that before the reopening Der-Boghossian promised
to make his nephew Gagik a 10% shareholder in the factory.
In February 2002, Gagik Azatyan was dismissed from his post by then
Minister of Industry Karen Jshmarityan.
Martun Azatyan says that afterwards Der-Boghossian seemed to have
second thoughts regarding making Gagik Azatyan a shareholder as
promised.
Martun Azatyan goes on to say that Der-Boghossian charged his nephew
with embezzling $200,000 from the investment budget but that a court
found the deficit to be only 9 million AMD, an amount repaid by
Gagik Azatyan.
Der-Boghossian never reconciled himself with the amount according to
Martun Azatyan and continued to hound his nephew in the courts for
the next seven years.
Gagik Azatyan left his house, never to return, after getting a call
from Vasily Sandukov, an employee at the Stepanavan Armanis mine
owned by Metal Prince.
Sandukov participated in the renovation of the Akhtala Combine and
was on close terms with Der-Boghossian.
Martun Azatyan told Hetq that for many years Serop Der-Boghossian
refused to pay $80,000 in back wages owed Gagik Azatyan.
He said that Gagik was preparing to take the Metal Price owner to
court but that he went missing five days later.
(Photo – left to right: Gagik Azatyan, former Lori Regional Governor
Henrik Kochinyan, Serop Der-Boghossian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2011/11/14/realtives-of-missing-former-metal-prince-director-regard-der-bogho/
