‘They Want to Seize My Properties,’ Insists Diaspora Armenian Entrepreneur Charged with Tax Evasion

The injustice of what happened to me is a consequence of some people’s greed and insatiability, said founder of the Naregatsi Art Institutes in Yerevan and Shushi and GH Storage Enterprises LLC Director Nareg Haroutunian today at a press conference in the Armenian capital.

Recall, on Dec. 9, Haroutunian was arrested on tax evasion charges. Within the course of a day, he was indicted, tried and found guilty without proper due process. He was later released, but made to pay a fine of 110 million drams (approx. $287,800 USD).

“We’ve never seen any profit in Armenia; there have been only investments and this was all done on patriotic grounds. We’ve trusted people who today not only are not standing beside us, but also gave false testimonies and wrote unfounded deeds against us. It’s been about a year that I, GH Storage Enterprises Deputy Director Ani Mnatsakanyan and chief accountant Artur Galstyan have been constantly dealing with red tape. In the last 5 days, the investigators engaged in such barbaric, inhumane activities against us that it was simply unacceptable,” he said.

According to Haroutunian, one who invests millions of dollars into the homeland could not have evaded taxes.

“A fine of 110 million drams was absurd. Beginning from the investigators to the judges, if they judge fairly, if they determine that we have tax debts, we won’t avoid responsibility,” he said.

The diaspora Armenian entrepreneur was insulted by the fact that he was detained on the 40th day since his father’s death (a day marked by Orthodox Christians which sometimes includes a memorial service to commemorate the deceased person).

“Isn’t it perhaps unjust that they’re took me to the investigations division where I spend an entire day then they drag me to court, issue an unfounded and unjust ruling and they put Ani, Artur and I in prison? All this was ordered from the upper echelons. Those sitting on high positions also have to realize that you can’t misuse your authority and live with lies, because we all know that those days are numbered. This is a problem for all of us — we together have to fight against all injustice,” he said.

Haroutunian is convinced that there is one purpose behind all the instances of persecution and defamation — to seize all that he has and claim it for themselves. As to who wants to do this, Haroutunian didn’t say.