MP Says He Doesn’t ‘Owe a Dime’ to Entrepreneur. She Says He’s Lost his Memory

Republican Party of Armenia MP and former Minister of Nature Protection Vardan Ayvazyan told journalists in Yerevan today that he “owes not a single dime” to entrepreneur Silva Hambartsumyan.

Recall, Hambartsumyan charges that the lawmaker owes her $70,000, since she returned the mine she purchased from him for $500,000 and is asking for her money back, which Ayvazyan has gradually paid — all except for the $70,000, which he reportedly is refusing to pay.

“Ask Silva Hambartsumyan two things: the year the deal was signed and the name of the mine,” he said at the press conference today.

Hambartsumyan, speaking to Epress.am, however, said Avyazyan has lost his memory — as a result of frequently visiting casinos.

“I am referring to the Jrkap mine in the community of Tashton. I returned the [mining] company because the mine’s coordinates were different and the mine itself was somewhere else. He was such a disconnected minister that he didn’t know the place of his mine. Ayvazyan didn’t deny that he owes me money; he says, when I return from Tbilisi, from China, I’ll give it. He wants to shrug me off; I won’t forgive it,” she said.