“Dozens of companies of the Multi Group concern (Tsarukian’s business conglomerate) are undergoing various tax audits these days,” Iveta Tonoyan told reporters.
Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC), the national tax service, did not confirm or comment on the reported audits. Tsarukian was charged with “larges-scale” tax evasion and banned from leaving the country last week just as his Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) accused the Central Election Commission (CEC) of illegally barring it from the new Armenian parliament elected on June 7.
The BHK was one of the three main opposition groups that ran in the elections. According to their official results, it lacked just a few dozen votes to clear a 4 percent legal threshold for winning parliament seats. Tsarukian’s party lost more than 200 votes as a result of the CEC’s highly controversial decision to cancel vote results in three precincts and not rerun elections there.
Pashinian has repeatedly pledged to imprison and “dispossess” Tsarukian as well as the leaders of the two other election challengers of his Civil Contract party. During the election campaign, he announced the impending nationalization of Armenia’s largest cement plant belonging to Tsarukian. He went on to promise to “return to the people” the tycoon’s properties, notably a hilltop villa just outside Yerevan, in case of winning reelection.
Tonoyan confirmed reports that Yerevan’s municipal administration has decided to unilaterally rescind a long-term lease agreement on land in the city center occupied by Tsarukian’s Multi Wellness fitness center. She said the decision is illegal and will be challenged in court.
“That area was leased to the Multi Group concern until 2065,” said Tsarukian’s spokeswoman. “[Multi Group] lawyers have already presented their objections.”
Critics portray Pashinian’s statements as further proof that law-enforcement authorities are acting on his illegal orders. Hundreds of opposition members and supporters were detained on vote-buying charges in the run-up to the elections. The arrests continued on election day and in the following days.