By Ruzanna Khachatrian
A Czech prosecutor visited Armenia recently to interrogate witnesses in a large-scale tax evasion case. Vlastimil Rampula, State Prosecutor of the Czech Republic, was in Armenia from May 30 to June 6 during which time, in cooperation with investigator Robert Darpinian of the Police Service's Special Cases Investigation Department, he conducted investigations, in particular interrogating several witnesses in the case, Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office spokesman Gurgen Ambarian told RFE/RL. Several years ago Czech police arrested a 24-member criminal group on charges of particularly large-scale tax evasion. Among the group members were two citizens of Armenia and two citizens of the Czech Republic of Armenian nationality.
According to police data, for a number of years this group was engaged in export of goods from the Czech Republic to different countries, including Armenia, and failing to pay taxes to the Czech budget in the amount of 75 million crowns (about $3 million).
"We managed to gather important evidence in Armenia which can be used in court," Rampula told the Czech CTK agency.
At Rampula's request, Armenia's law-enforcers have interrogated five witnesses engaged in the import of goods from the Czech Republic.