YEREVAN. – The criminal investigation of the well-known “offshore scandal” is over, reported Zhoghovurd daily.
“Even though numerous names were mentioned with this story, including the name of RA [i.e. the Republic of Armenia] former Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan [, who currently serves as Armenia’s Ambassador to US], the sole defendant in the case is businessman Ashot Sukiasyan, who is charged with large-scale fraud.
“It is considered that this story became the cause for the political sunset of Tigran Sargsyan.
“The court hearing of this case will be noteworthy from the viewpoint as to how the law enforcement managed to ‘clear’ [the names of] the former PM and [Archbishop] Navasard Kjoyan, leader of the Araratian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,” wrote Zhoghovurd.
The aforesaid offshore scandal broke out after an Armenian media outlet wrote that Armenia’s then-PM Tigran Sargsyan, Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan—Vicar General of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church—, and “jeweler” Ashot Sukiasyan are shareholders in an offshore company called Wlispera Holdings Limited, which is registered in Cyprus. Sargsyan and Kjoyan, however, denied their involvement in such a company.
The Armenian General Investigation Department had laid charges on Sukiasyan, and on the grounds of committing fraud, causing property damage, and legalizing criminally-earned income.
