Epress.am News from Armenia
The Prosperous Armenia (BHK) party won’t comment on the incident between Syunik marzpet (regional governor) Suren Khachatryan (pictured) and entrepreneur Silva Hambardzumyan since the criminal case is underway, said BHK MP Naira Zohrabyan at a press briefing in the National Assembly today.
“I, myself, as an individual deputy, can judge, saying that attempts to resolve issues this way are simply unacceptable for an official, regardless of who is right, who is guilty. But we know a criminal case has been launched. I think that it will be correct to comment after the criminal case has wrapped up,” she said.
Recall, Hambardzumyan has been at the center of a recent scandal. At a Nov. 10 press conference, the entrepreneur charged that a mining company owned by the Syunik marzpet misappropriated mining equipment worth more than 100 million drams ($265,000 USD) from a mine belonging to her. Then, on Nov. 14, she asserted that he attacked her as she was leaving a meeting at a Yerevan hotel.
Based on Hambardzumyan’s written testimony, Armenia’s Special Investigative Service launched proceedings specified by RA Criminal Code Article 118 (“Battery or committal of other violent acts… is punished with a fine in the amount of up to 100 minimal salaries, or correctional labor for up to 1 year, or with arrest for the term of up to 2 months”).
Photo: Syuniac Yerkir