Sedrak Kocharyan Rejects Criminal Charges Against Him: Lawyer

The eldest son of the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, Sedrak Kocharyan, rejects the charges brought against him for organizing large-scale tax evasion and legalizing income obtained through criminal means. This was stated by Sedrak Kocharyan's lawyer, Hayk Alumyann, in an interview with NEWS.am.

In the conversation with the media outlet, he noted that after the initiation of the criminal case, the investigative body attempted to interrogate his client; however, the latter exercised his procedural right and refused to give testimony.

Below is an excerpt from the interview:

“It is clear to everyone that we do not trust that structure regarding all matters related to Mr. Kocharyan or his family, as that structure has become a tool for their persecution,” he stated.

The lawyer believes that law enforcement agencies are misinterpreting the essence of the crime of legalizing income. “In any case where an alleged tax offense is discovered, and then when it is seen that the individual has acquired something with the unpaid tax money, they consider it to be money laundering; this is a very incorrect understanding of this crime,” he remarked, adding that the Court of Cassation has a decision that contradicts the charges of money laundering against Sedrak Kocharyan.