‘While I Had a Car, He Didn’t Have Money for Cigarettes’: Local Entrepreneur on Armenia PM

Well-known entrepreneur Silva Hambardzumyan declared Wednesday if the issues she’s raised are not rightly resolved in Armenia, she will appeal to the European Court (of Human Rights) so that the $3.5 million USD invested in her business can be returned to her, reports local daily 168 Zham (“168 Hours”).

The entrepreneur has made serious allegations against the activities of RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan, Syunik regional councillor (marzpet) Suren Khachatryan and RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. The energy minister revoked the license of Hambardzumyan’s Sipan 1 gold mining company, quickly organized an auction, appointed the prime minister as head of the auction committee, sold the gold mine to Sagamar CJSC, one of the shares of which belonged to then adviser to the prime minister Serop Der-Boghossian, the Armenian-American businessman since accused of sexual abuse of minors.

“And Mr. Prime Minister, who was the chair of the auction committee, didn’t participate in the auction, probably from fear, because they are committing a terrible unlawful act,” Hambardzumyan told 168 Zham, noting that he and Tigran Sargsyan were students together.

Asked whether this last fact might change the situation, the entrepreneur responded, “How can it? At that time I had a car, he probably didn’t have money for cigarettes.”