Epress.am News from Armenia
Several residents of the village of Ttujur in Armenia’s Gegharkunik marz (province) called local daily Joghovurd recently and informed the staff that some time ago, mining industry entrepreneur Silva Hambardzumyan dug pits in their village with the aim of finding copper; however, a short while later, she left. According to the villagers, Hambardzumyan promised money to the head of the village, which she still hasn’t paid. Apparently, the two parties argued and she has not returned to the village since.
Joghovurd contacted Hambardzumyan for more information.
“We have a license to study [the area]. Yes, we really dug the land, acquired samples which we submitted for analysis, but haven’t yet received a response. We only dug, and we caused no damage,” she said, reported the daily on Saturday.
She also denied the news that she owes money to the head of the village. “I have no debts to anyone,” she said.
Recall, Hambardzumyan has been in the media spotlight recently. At a Nov. 10 press conference, the entrepreneur charged that a mining company owned by Syunik marzpet (regional governor) Suren Khachatryan misappropriated mining equipment worth more than 100 million drams ($265,000 USD) from a mine belonging to her. Then, at a Nov. 14 press conference, Hambardzumyan said that she was attacked by Khachatryan as she was leaving a Yerevan hotel. Armenia’s Special Investigative Service looked into the matter and determined no crime was committed, thereby dismissing the case.