YEREVAN. – Before the New Year holidays, Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan went on hunting, with a helicopter, at the country’s Khosrov Reserve, Zhamanak daily reports.  

“In a telephonic conversation with us, however, Tsarukyan’s spokeswoman Iveta Tonoyan denied the news. But according to our sources, prior to spending the New Year in the City of Nice, France, Tsarukyan first decided to go on hunting with a helicopter.  

In such cases, the Defense Ministry and the Armenian [General Department of] Civil Aviation can allocate helicopters in Armenia. We attempted to verify as to which of these [state] departments Tsarukyan had received the helicopter from. The Civil Aviation responded that they do not have, whereas the MOD replied that there was no such case.  

It is possible, however, that the helicopter was taken from one of these two departments unlawfully, since hunting is prohibited at Khosrov Reserve,” Zhamanak writes.